[victoria's pov]

Luckily by the crack of dawn, Hogwarts gates were open and the corridors were not as crowded. It was a bright Saturday and every student looked forward to it, considering the school year was coming to an end and exams were over.

I didn't go unnoticed though as a huddle of Ravenclaws had already started roaming the castle early like typical. The cold cobblestone travels up my legs as I crawl into the dungeons and back to the common room, where some students laugh and play.

I'm fortunate to not run into anyone as I crept up the stairs. I hear the common room doors open and peep down, spotting Tom entering normally. His hair was damp and a few youngsters watched him as he walked past. I turn my head, ignoring his presence and head towards my dorm.

I hear voices and quickly graph my dorm handle. I turn it. It doesn't budge. I quickly rattle it and sigh with disappointment. Locked. I had left my wand inside since last night as well.

"Alohomora"

I turn my head, my eyes locking with Theo's. His journal's in his hand as he stands there, almost in a dream. He reeks of cigarettes, which was out of character. Perhaps Black had started bad habits?

Startled, I pull the robe over me tighter and cross my arms to prevent my damp clothes from showing. I think of how to thank him, but somehow I can't. Only guilt like never before sets in.

"I kissed another man," I thought.

Even though we weren't together, I never thought I'd do such a thing. What dragged me was if he had found out. If he had thought I moved on so quickly or if he had assumed I ended things only to betray him discreetly. That everything we had was a lie.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him though," I thought.

My own defence surprises me, but before I can think any further, Theo speaks up.

"You looked like you needed help," Theo commented, then his eyes shrank with a double take as his eyes settled on my lips. "There's fresh blood on the cut of your lips." His tone was fairly flat, but my eyes slightly widened.

"I didn't notice," I lied, sucking the blood on my lips. I could still taste Tom's tender touch.

Theo replied with a simple "Mhm."

His eyes travelled from my head to toe and they rested on my chest. Or, what was rather over them. I look down and see Tom's head boy badge plastered on his robe. As if on cue, Tom appears from the end of the corridor, slowing as he spotted the two of us.

His hands are in his pocket as he comes to a stop. Theo shifts his feet uncomfortably and I slowly shrink, opening my dormitory door to disappear. My eyes meet Tom's and I feel a shade of... anger? Embarrassment? Possibly even flusteredness.

My eyes break away from Tom and they meet Theo's faded blue ones instead.

"Thank you for your help, Theo," I slightly bow myself out of the corridor and quickly shut the door in front of me with a massive exhale.

I stay by the door until the footsteps stop and I step away, heading towards the shower room. I take off Tom's robe, peeling off my dress and stepping into the shower. I feel the water run down my hair and down my spine, trailing down my legs. The hot water soothes my airway as I brush out the sand from my hair. I scrub everywhere. Not to cleanse myself of the blood.

But of his touch.

Tom Riddle's touch.

——————————

I find myself in the same office again. Dumbledore's office. The crimson curtains drawn, the lit candles dancing wildly in the windless room. And the same spooky aura of loneliness never failed to dawn on me until Dumbledore came into the light of the shadows.

"What is it you wish to tell me?" he says, like everytime I had this dream.

I turned my head and saw my grandfather, Evander. In every occurance of this moment, his face always carried the same grave expression as if a soldier returned from war.

Annabeth looked no better. Her lips were pursed and her hands were clenched over her heart. She was beautiful, had it not been for the dark, caved shadows around her eyes. Nothing was new, as in every dream, Dumbledore listened to the cries of my grandparents and warned them of the consequences of a dark spell before performing it.

Nothing was new.

Or I thought.

"It is a price I am willing to pay," Evander's voice cracked.

As I had expected the room to fill with smoke and blur visions of Dumbledore's wrath, I found myself watching Evander fall to his knees. He sobs and then an infant's cry springs to life.

I immediately stand, frightened. What I didn't know could have been dangerous. Behind the crouched Evander is a brown basket. From my view, I see a blanket peering out under the cover. It was fleeced and so white I could have mistaken it as snow.

If it were not for the blood stains.

For the first time since I've had these nightmares, I stood up and neared my grandparents. I had always been afraid to move, thinking they'd see me. I could sense their fear, thus what made me think they couldn't sense me?

Annabeth calmed the infant inside as Evander collected himself. Dumbledore began packing his things into a purple, beaded handbag hurriedly and I walked past my grandparents, not daring to meet their eyes that could potentially cross with mine.

The infant's cries stopped and I stood over the closed basket. It was so small, it must've been a typical picnic basket. I bent my knees, lowering myself and placed my fingers on the edge of the basket's lid. A familiar sensation drew me to lift the lid open.

A black dust storm lunged at me from inside and the basket and the infant's cry rang through the entire room loudly once again. The dust flew past me like a harsh banshee scream until I felt a pierce through my stomach.

Like little needles poking through my skin and my face. It hurt especially on my eyes.

Then it shoved me off my feet and I screamed, falling backwards but instead of hitting the ground, I fell backwards into a bottomless pit.

Until I felt the pull of my bedsheets around my body. My heart racing, I sit straight up and summon my wand for light.

"Lumos!"

Panting, I looked around to see where I was. To get myself grounded again. I throw back my head in anger. Nightmare after another, I had no answers. Only more questions. And they were all recurring until this one was different. I felt something. Not fear but pain.

"It's not just a nightmare," I determined sternly. "It has to be real."

I stayed in my bed, thinking and sweating. I couldn't move, only thought.

What happened all those years ago?

A knock at my door made me blink back to my consciousness. I awakened and an unfamiliar voice called out.

"Day one of career conferences today, get up!" a young voice pipped and heavy footsteps ran down the corridor, announcing the same message over and over.

I sighed, unexcited. The last thing I wanted to discuss was my future. Especially if I was still working out the present and my past. Though, still forcing myself out of bed and to my wardrobe, my mind could only ponder on what those visions meant. A warning? Or just something to disturb me heavily?

Whatever it was, it picked at me like vultures to prey.

Besides Riddle. I could see faded markings of his on the back of my neck, which had forced me to wear my hair down. I was not going to be claimed as his property. I took off my shirt and changed into a turtleneck.

After applying some light makeup, I threw on my uniform and took a look at myself in the mirror. I looked the same, yet felt different. More confident, oddly, if anything else. Stronger, even. I picked up my satchel of files and my wand before turning my heel to head for Professor Merrythought's room.

As soon as I stepped out, a commotion was audible from downstairs already from the seventh year students. Friend groups cluster in a bubble around couches, tables, and rugs. Seeing them reminded me of what it was like not even a year ago.

I could hear Serenity's laugh in the commotion and Druella's defensive comments. They echoed in my ear as if it were a dream I had last night. Though that wasn't the case.

I made way for the common room exit and walked out without another thought of the past. As of now, I had to think about the future.

"What do you see yourself doing after graduation?" Professor Merrythought asks me as I sit in front of her desk.

Her hair is in a dramatic ponytail this morning and her rectangle spectacles sit on her long nose, making her look more professional than I'd ever encountered. You could mistake her for a lawyer if it wasn't for the arctic blue dress she was wearing and her bright green flats and jewellery.

Her classroom was empty, but cluttered with files, charts of the sky, and stuffed creatures. Yet the room seemed to be full of life.

"Miss Locke?" she said, grasping my attention. "You seem distracted."

I met her eyes and shook my head. "No, I was thinking... if I'm being honest I'm not sure what I'd like to do after Hogwarts..."

"Well that's alright," Merrythought reassured. " That's why we're here today! I have your report card here... Your N.E.W.Ts look rather good, by the way..."

She rummaged through her piles of scrolls and files until she found my name.

"You seem to be very strong when it comes to muggle studies, mythology, and defence against the dark arts. If you don't mind, I'd like to make a suggestion?"

"Not at all," I agreed.

"It seems like to me, you'd do great things at the Ministry of Magic. You have a strong mind, so perhaps a role within the department of magical law enforcement?"

Immediately, Theo came to my mind. It was as if everywhere I went, a piece of him followed me. Professor Merrythought sensed my unsureness and added to her suggestion.

"I mean, it's only a suggestion. It's just that you seem to very much like solving puzzles. If not for your strong ambition, one could confuse you to be a Ravenclaw." She laughed at her comment and I did lightly as well.

It was polite to do so.

"I don't see what would be holding you back, as you seem to be knowledgeable about many defences against the dark arts... except for our unit near Halloween when we discussed muggle hybrids and obscurials..."

My eyes seemed to flash, as my attention was now caught.

"Professor Merrythought," I interrupted her.

She hummed.

"What can you tell me about obscurials?" I asked.

She seemed hesitant about my question and I quickly thought of an answer.

"It's just that, I came across the term and didn't quite get as much depth as I expected," I lied. "Could you perhaps elaborate? I was thinking if anyone would know, it'd be you..."

That seemed to have done the trick because she nodded and set down her files.

"For the longest time, aeons ago, obscurials plagued the wizarding world. It was a dark time for children to live in and many became vulnerable hosts. We've just long forgotten those times because sorcerers forbid the talk of it seeing as it was dark magic. It's as forgotten as horcruxes and soul shifting, as they're dangerous too."

She quickly dismissed horcruxes and soul shifting, as she didn't want to linger on the topic for long.

"It's not as common these days, but one can never be too sure as the Ministry of Magic has always gone great lengths to conceal its reputation."

I nodded, but wasn't satisfied with what she had said. "But, professor, why are obscurials so feared? Does the parasite not only kill the host?"

Professor Merrythought raised her brows.

"Where ever did you hear that?"

"I-"

"An obscurus does not kill their host," she warned. "It intends to only take over the body of a host, hence why it's so dangerous once it has full control. Killing the host would be a means to its end so it wouldn't make sense."

"So the parasite lives as long as a wizard does?" I asked. "But what if the wizard is immortal-? Or has an extended life-? Would that not make the obscurial a great threat?"

"That is if the obscurial can control the parasite," Professor Merrythought said with a tone of grim. "But none have survived to prove it so."

"But a host can rid of the parasite?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes!" the professor exclaimed. "Though one can become successful with this curious mind, it can also lead to trouble, young lady."

I gathered my senses and rested on my seat. "Yes, of course. I let curiosity get the best of me sometimes."

I laughed and she grinned weakly in response.

"Our time for today is up," she noted. "I shall see you another time? Friday perhaps around the same time."

"If that works for you," I reply, getting up quickly.

"Friday it is then."

She handed me my report card and I headed for the door, my mind pondering on the new information I've gathered. I step out of the classroom, and shut it, pausing before I leave.

I can free myself from the parasite," I thought again. It was all I could think about when I rushed back to the common room. Making haste, I went down the spiral stairs and past the classrooms. That was until, someone stepped out of Slughorn's, making me come to an abrupt stop.

My chest met Riddle's right arm and I pulled myself back before giving him a displeased eye. He stared down at me, still not sensing my anger. Or perhaps he did and found it amusing because there was a plastered smirk on his face.

Not wanting to face Tom, I walked past him without a word, gripping my wand.

"Hey!" he calls from behind me and chases after, grabbing my arm. I immediately swung my wand under his chin angrily. He didn't move, but instead smiled with further amusement.

"I don't want anything to do with you," I spat. "You've caused me enough trouble, knowing I could've prevented them!"

"Prevented what?"

"You knew that the plague manipulated me into becoming immortal! I was never dying," I exclaimed. "You've always known I could have gotten rid of it but chose not to tell me!"

My finger was deep in his chest and he simply replied, "You never asked."

Pissed, I stormed off and down to the dungeons without another word. I didn't look back, as I could feel his smirk on my back. I heard his footsteps follow behind quietly as I sped up, wanting to ignore him for as long as possible. Tom's pettiness lingered onto me like a ghost and knowing that he had already seen me at my worst didn't help.

"You fool," I thought. "He never wanted your help. He just wanted to watch you fall for him!"

Not that I had.

I slammed the door behind me as I entered my dorm. My dormitory was slowly becoming my new home instead of elsewhere. It was quieter and I had a larger space to myself. Though I didn't dare lay on Serenity's bed. It felt disrespectful and wrong.

Though, I regularly made sure the elves washed her sheets and I kept them folded with her belongings and an old stuffed rabbit that she had cherished since her time at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

I now used Druella's space as a work space. My homework space or for when it grew too cold by my window. I've gotten used to her old wardrobe, and begun putting my own things in there for storage. How convenient it was to have her out.

I open my nightstand to litter in my report card when I see the familiar M waxed envelope. Annabeth and Evander immediately come to mind and I'm reminded of the recurring vision. At some point, I'd have to go see her.

Today.

"I won't be missed with conferences going on," I thought aloud.

I removed my clothes, changing into something more presentable for questioning. There were many things that needed to be answered. Gaps needed to be filled and riddles needed to be solved.

With the envelope and address in my hand, I pack a few things into my bag and throw it over my chest. I put on a cap, as it was windy out in the May weather before opening my door to leave, but a rock stood in my way.

"You look like you're going on an expedition," Tom mocks.

"What more do you want from me?" I ask with annoyance. "If you're here to mock me with the events of last week at the Black Lake, just know it was a mistake. It meant nothing, Riddle. I'm still in love with another man."

Tom looked as if he wanted to say something but changed his mind. His sly smile appeared on his face. "I didn't think you cared that much. I simply came to ask for my robe back. I cannot be wandering the halls past curfew without my badge."

I leave my opened door unattended, quick to hide the abashed expression on my face, to open Druella's old wardrobe–my new storage wardrobe. I set down my bag and envelope before digging through the small totes.

Tom welcomes himself into my room and leans on the wall, waiting patiently as I dig through my things.

"Did you intend to keep it?" he jokes. "It's buried quite deep."

I ignored him and pulled it out from under clothes I no longer wore. I throw it to him and he catches it.

"Did you wash it?"

"The castle elves had by accident."

Not wanting to discuss the topic any further, I pick up my bag, tucking the envelope inside before I grab my wand. I motion for Tom to leave and he silently does until he sees me walk down the corridor.

"Where're you going?"

"It's not any of your business to know where I'm going, what I do or who I do things with," I said with agitation. "Just leave me alone, Tom. You've broken my trust."

I feel his eyes on my back until I'm out of sight, wanting to keep me in his grasp. Even as I left the castle,

it still felt like he was watching my every move.

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January 2nd, 2024.