"Thea."
Theodora gasped, leaping out of her chair with speed solely fueled by adrenaline as she receded to the wall behind her. She then focused her tired eyes ahead to see Evander looking perplexed as he held a steaming cup of tea in his hand.
"Oh, it's you," she sighed, placing a hand over her racing heart as she panted. He raised an eyebrow, and she murmured, "I'm sorry."
"What's the matter?" he asked, taking the hand she offered while leading her back to sit in her chair.
"I always woke up like that in Azkaban. It was usually because of a dementor. I thought it was happening again— I forget that I'm out of prison now," she sighed, rubbing her temples with a groan. He pulled a chair next to her, sitting down with a frown. He felt beyond sorry for her, just saddened by what she went through for no reason.
"Thea, I'm sorry—"
"Don't be, Evander. I'll get over it. I'll just need some time," she said, giving him a weak smile. He slid the cup of tea toward her, saying, "I hope this helps."
She sniffed once, then straightened in her seat with a smile. She snickered, "is this what I think it is?"
"Well, you do like green tea, don't you?"
She cupped two hands around the mug, pulling it close to let the steam warm her chin as she asked, "with…?"
"Lavender of course," Evander declared, making her giggle as she took a sip. He gave her a half-grin, making her blush a little; it was the same as from when they were in school. And the best part was that she could remember it. She made eye contact with Evander, and the two of them looked away quickly.
"Is everything alright, Thea?" Evander murmured, and she (to his surprise) answered, "I just haven't seen you in so long. It feels like the days when I had a crush on you, and I'm all nervous."
"You have a crush on me?"
"I'm past that—" she retorted, to which he frowned.
"I said I'm past it, not over it," she breathed, finally looking directly into his eyes with an air of defiance. His eyebrows raised, and he asked, "you aren't?"
"Of course not," she whispered, folding her hands tightly in her lap as she felt a painful lump form in her throat. It was the recurring anger and sadness she had every time she thought about Cornelius's plot agains the two of them, and how much she missed him.
"But I'm sure you're over me. It's been 12 years since I last saw you—" she said then began laughing. She reddened, standing up and walking to the corner with shelves of herbs, pressing her hands to her face.
"I can't even believe myself— you might be married!" She cried with embarrassment.
"I'm not!" He yelped, jumping out of his chair.
"You aren't?" She asked, hesitantly turning around. Her arms were crossed and her posture was hunched, clearly displaying the tension she was feeling. He shook his head, hurrying to stand in front of her.
"I just thought you would be," she mumbled, and he asked, "why?"
"I don't know! I guess it's because you're perfect, and, well- have you ever heard of a mirror before?"
He snorted with laughter, and she said, "even so, it doesn't make you right for me. Our timing was off thanks to your brother."
"Didn't you hear what I said? I told you 'I'm not.'"
She narrowed her eyes, and he said, "I was answering your marriage question, and you said, 'but I'm sure you're over me.'"
The gently reached out to hold her shoulders, and said, "but I'm not."
She inhaled sharply, holding her breath as she stared up at him completely speechless. He was being sincere, and she found herself not used to things going well for her. It almost felt like it wasn't real, and that she would wake up in her Azkaban cell realizing this was all a dream.
"Then what do we do?" She croaked, not breaking her eye contact with him.
"What do you want to do?" He replied, leaning ever so slightly closer to her. She gulped, and said, "I want to go on a date with you. A proper one."
He smirked, and asked, "when are you free?"
"I'm going to London in tomorrow…"
"So tonight, six o'clock?"
Theodora broke into an innocent smile, nodding as she shyly looked to the ground. She took his hands in hers, asking, "how should I dress?"
"Dress up. It can tell you want to," he snickered, which made her giggle.
When was the last time I felt this way? She thought to herself as flashbacks of the two of them poured into her thoughts. She felt like a giddy teenage girl, and admittedly loved it. She had gone far too long without feeling a fraction of the happiness she was feeling now.
"I'm nervous," she finally said, and he then muttered, "crap, I gave you caffeine." She laughed, nudging his shoulder as she said, "yeah, you're just helping my heart right along. Actually, I'm nervous about seeing Isidore. I shouldn't be, but I am."
"I understand. It's been 12 years since you two spoke. I was nervous when I first met him," Evander replied, hearing a gasp from her. She then laughed, saying, "Evander Lestrange, nervous! I've never heard of such a thing."
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, and she rested her chin on a wrist as she smiled to him.
"He just seemed so different in the trial. I know, he's much older now; but he used to be such a happy little boy that loved to smile. He was the type of boy that would chase a butterfly and bring me flowers, despite Cornelius's treatment toward him," she said, tracing a long finger along the rim of her cup. Evander smirked a little, and said, "you mean he took after you? And now?"
She smiled to him, answering, "he takes after you."
"Does that make you… well, nervous?" he asked, his tone sly. She rolled her eyes, saying, "I didn't mean it as a bad thing!"
She sighed, then added, "he's just different now. It feels weird not to know my own son."
Evander gave her a sad smile, saying, "believe me, I know."
She perked up, reaching a hand to his arm as she said, "I can't imagine how you've felt! You found out you have a son, and the way it all happened—"
"It's alright."
She stopped, closing her jaw seeing him giving her a warm smile. He said, "it wasn't our choice, the way things turned out. We were young, but I'm sure we would've ended up together at some point in the future. I can't say that what Cornelius did was right. However, all I care about is that our kids are okay. The twins are good students. They're smart, capable, and pretty girls. They're healthy. Isidore is so intelligent, he's got a good heart under that tough exterior, and he turned out to be someone I can be proud of. They all did.
"And something I love is that he looks so much like you, Thea. Looking at him reminded me of you, and made me feel like you weren't completely gone when you were in Azkaban."
Theodora smiled, replying, "he may have my hair and eye color, but he has your features. All of them. And your personality, from what I'm hearing."
"Those rumors would be correct," Evander sighed with a grin, making Theodora chuckle before sipping the tea.
"Evander—" she said, much more serious as she leaned a little closer.
"How has Isidore been? Really?" She asked, and Evander looked down with a sad flicker in his eyes. He shrugged, saying, "Alright. But I can tell he's trying to deal with everything by himself. He really has become as cynical as me, Thea."
"Oh— my sweet boy— he deserved so much better," she began, and Evander cut her off before she could get any more emotional, saying, "Thea, it's alright. He's a strong person because of what's happened to him. Nothing gets past his brain, but he is compassionate to those who deserve it."
"He really is your son," she smiled, and Evander scratched his neck sheepishly.
"He has friends who he really cares about, and who care about him. His sisters look up to him. He was forced to grow up so young. I didn't have anyone in my family I cared about— aside from my mom— so I didn't hold back when I would fight with my family. On the other hand, he had to endure everything so his sisters wouldn't lose hope. He had every right to become a different person, but he's very noble instead. And he did it all on his own," Evander said with a sad smile at the end, making Theodora mirror him.
"He's a fine young man, isn't he?" She said, and Evander shrugged with a smirk. He then replied, "sure, aside from his little problem with eavesdropping—"
He turned over his shoulder, and they saw Isidore step inside the potions classroom from his spot just outside the door. Theodora stood up, seeing him offering them an awkward smile as he dug his hands in his pockets. She took a good look at him, finally able to see him up-close unlike the view she had of him testifying during her trial. He was taller than her, striking in appearance, with the same naturally serious expression his father had. His jet black hair was parted to the left, and his ice blue eyes seemed much wiser than she remembered. They weren't bright anymore; they were mysterious, with an a hint of sadness. They were indicative of his aloof nature, which automatically made her heart twinge with guilt.
"Isidore," she said, finally running over to him. She reached up to embrace his shoulders, and his arms encircled her in the tightest embrace he could manage.
"Mom," he breathed, causing her eyes to well with tears.
"It's me, my love," she whispered, placing her forehead against his shoulder trying her best not to let the tears out.
"It's really you."
"I'm not going anywhere," she told him. He squeezed her tighter, asking, "do you promise?"
"I promise, Isidore."
"Is he really gone?" He murmured, and he felt her nod against him.
"Really? Because I'm…" he began, and she let him go to look at his face. His expression was pained, and she reached a hand to cradled his face.
"I'm tired, mom," he said, prompting her to choke on a sob. She covered her lips with a hand, her eyebrows narrowing as tears streamed out of her eyes.
"I know you are, Isidore. You can rest now. Your— f-father and I are here to stay," she asserted, unaccustomed to the fact that Evander is the father of her children. Isidore looked back to him briefly, and he said, "please, don't go anywhere ever again."
"Isidore, my love, you've done so well. You were the best older brother to your sisters— you practically raised twins all by yourself. You kept them alive, you worked hard. You became such a fine young man. You're so tall, handsome, and intelligent. I can't describe how proud I feel looking at you," she told him, running her fingers over the green of the Slytherin hood around his shoulders until she traced the knot of the tie.
"You're a Slytherin, too. Goodness, I'm so happy to see who you've become," she added, squeezing his shoulders firmly.
"But I'm so different now, mom…"
"No, Isidore. You've grown up. I have always cherished my time with you from before, but have no expectation that you're exactly the same. Just be yourself. I love you just as much as I did back then. Even if you smile less, or don't trust people as much. I'm your mom, you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not."
Isidore stared into her eyes, wondering if she'd be horrified with the things he did. He then said, "then there's some things I need to tell you."
He inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes briefly to prepare himself. She listened, meeting his gaze once again as he spoke.
"I've stolen from people. I've stolen food, money, and lied. As you know, a nice couple finally took us in when we were nine, and homeschooled us. I caught up fast, and even jumped way ahead of my age group's math capabilities by the time I was 10. I had met a few shady figures from living on the streets of London, and got money through them by running numbers for their black market businesses. I did it despite being cared for by some of the kindest people I've ever met, because I couldn't trust them and wanted money for Clara and Aiyana. I did it while living in their house, where they gave me a warm bed, food, and love despite me not being their child. They couldn't have children, and viewed us as their own. I've done horrible things, mom. Things I can't take back."
Isidore's voice wavered, as he looked to the ground, unable to meet his mother's brokenhearted gaze. He bit his lip with his eye squeezing shut, then said, "I'm sorry, mom."
Her shoulders shook once with a silent sob, and she pulled him into another embrace, sobbing, "don't be."
"Huh?"
"You just wanted to survive. You were looking out for the only people you trusted. It takes courage to be the bad guy for the sake of others. I'm sorry you ever had to do that, and at such a young age," she whispered, barely managing to hold back a sob that desperately tried to escape her throat.
"Do you still do any of that?" She asked, and she felt him shake his head no.
"Then appreciate the couple. They mean a lot to you, and are your family too. Make sure they know that this summer when you go back with them," she said, letting him to go give him a reassuring nod with her eyes brightening a little.
"I will," he murmured. She nodded again, saying, "they're your legal guardians now, and who you're used to being with. Evander— I mean, Professor Lestrange— and I want to give you time to think rather than just prying you out of a home you've grown accustomed to."
"Plus, custody would be confusing since we're not married," Evander added. Theodora grimaced a little, nodding in agreement, saying, "you are our son, though. Once I have a place and a job, I would like to be able to take you and your sisters in. But think about it. I'm not trying to rush you."
Isidore nodded, smiling a little as he admitted, "I'd love that."
She beamed, and he hurriedly blurted, "not that I don't like living with the Carrigans! I just—"
He reddened a little, clearly disliking the act of honestly of expressing feelings, which made Theodora and Evander laugh. She then said, "it's alright, I know what you meant."
"And, we'd like to personally thank them one of these days, in person."
Isidore smiled, nodding to the two of them as he said, "I wrote to them about the trial, and they were thrilled to hear that my mom was released. And they were surprised to hear my father is actually someone else, but nonetheless happy I'm not Cornelius's son. So they'd love to meet the two of you. And, speaking of another set of two that would like to meet you— mom—"
Isidore stepped back, opening the door to look to the left, then to the right. He motioned for someone to come to him, then stepped aside to let his twin sisters in the room.
"Mom, it's you!" The girls cried in sync, running into Theodora's open arms. The two of them were already in tears, of course causing Theodora to cry along with them. Isidore smiled at them, leaning against one of the desks of the potions classroom, memorizing the sight of the happy reunion in front of him. The identical twins took after Evander, with the same dark brown hair and light brown eyes, although they had Theodora's curls with a combination of their parents' personalities.
"Isidore!" Theodora called, waving him over before hugging the girls to herself again. Isidore walked over, then she said, "let's all catch up. It's been so long since we all got to sit together. And now… we have your father too."
She looked over to Evander with a shy smile, her heart melting at the twinkle in his eyes. Everyone sat at a table in the corner of the potions classroom, facing each other the way students did each and every day during their potions experiments. And to their surprise, the conversations flowed naturally. It felt as if no time had passed, reminding the children how close they had been with their mother before she left. Evander was included, listening to the kids filling them in about their lives in the time Theodora had been gone. There was good, there was bad, and laughs as the conversations shifted to more enjoyable topics. It was something they all were looking forward to doing in the future, and for the first time felt that these moments were realistically here to stay.
Before they knew it, it was five o'clock in the evening, so Isidore and his sisters prepared to leave for dinner. Theodora hugged Clara and Aiyana, saying to them, "you girls make me so proud. My mom will be thrilled to know her granddaughters are fellow Ravenclaws. I can't wait to tell her how smart and beautiful you two are. And you'll see me soon, either before the school year ends or during the summer. I promise. I'm not going anywhere ever again."
"I love you, mom," they said in sync, yet again, then let go of her. Theodora turned to face Isidore, who swiftly engulfed her in a tight hug. Even though he knew they'd see each other again soon, he hated parting with her. Because of what they went through, it felt like every meeting they had could potentially be their last. He still couldn't entirely trust the reality of her being free. And she knew it.
"I'll see you soon, Isidore," she told him. He nodded silently, reluctantly letting go of her. She gave him a reassuring nod, squeezing his shoulders briefly before giving him a nudge toward the door. He walked forward, stopping just before the threshold where his sisters waited for him.
"I love you, mom," he said, turning to take one last look at her.
"I love you too, Isidore," she replied with a sad smile. Isidore looked over to Evander, narrowing his eyes as he said, "you take care of her. Especially tonight. Make sure she's back early enough."
Evander and Theodora stiffened, realizing Isidore either overheard their plans for the evening or the possibility that he figured them out. The look in his eyes was sharp, almost threatening to Evander the way a father would glare at his daughter's date when trying to pick her up for the evening.
"Yes sir," Evander answered, then Isidore smirked with a nod before walking out of the room. The door shut behind them, and the two adults looked to each other with smiles. Theodora actually began to laugh, saying, "he's just like you!"
"Yeah, he's terrifying," Evander laughed. Theodora shook her head with a sigh, saying, "now you know how your poor stepfather felt when he would pick up your mother for dates."
"It was warranted!"
"Oh really?" Theodora asked, raising an eyebrow as she placed her navy cloche hat on her head.
"How could I trust her to someone I barely knew?!"
"And you think Isidore will cut you some slack?" She replied, laughing as he stuttered in an attempt to reply.
"I suppose not," he finally concluded. She placed her hand on the door handle, turning back to him with a sly grin, saying, "please excuse me for the evening, Professor Lestrange. I have a date to get ready for."
She opened the door, turning to him as he smirked, saying, "you can't keep him waiting."
She winked, shutting the door behind her. Evander let out the giddy smile he had been suppressing, leaning his head back with a relieved sigh.
Finally. I have her back.
Eva let out a small grunt as she reached up for a book on the top shelf above her. She then jumped, missing it and let out a frustrated sigh, turning to find a ladder.
"Woah!" She cried, seeing Isidore standing right behind her. She jumped back a little, and he asked, "want me to get it for you?"
"I hate being so short," she grumbled, crossing her arms with a sulk at the ground. He looked up to the book, saying, "then, let's make you tall."
"Huh— ACK!" She yelped, feeling him turn her around to lift her by the armpits. She looked to the ground, seeing it was indeed much farther beneath her dangling legs, then reached out for the book that was now at eye level. She pulled it out, her feet lightly tapping the ground as Isidore set her back down.
"Thanks," she mumbled with a shy giggle, tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.
"No problem. I'm actually here to check on you. I had a suspicion you might be stuck researching herbology in the library instead of heading to dinner," he said, nodding to the grandfather clock on the far wall. She looked over, seeing it was already 10 minutes into the scheduled time for dinner, and went, "oh, I lost track of time."
"Let's get going, you must be hungry," he said, motioning to the door.
"I'd like to check this book out first! I can meet you there, don't wait up for me," she said, then she scurried to the nearby table to begin packing her things. Isidore followed her, saying, "you got those out quickly."
"Pardon?" Eva asked, standing back up to give him a curious look.
"I may have caught you eavesdropping when I met my mom. So I'm guessing you ran here right as I was leaving, since that's when I found you, and you tossed your belongings on the table to make it look like you were studying here instead," Isidore said with a smirk, which only deepened as Eva turned bright red.
"I— well, you see—" she stuttered, then she stopped and took a deep breath to regroup her thoughts. She opened her eyes, looking at him, saying, "I ran into Tom and Eleonora. They told me they had met her, and you were next. I was worried that it might've all been too much of a shock to see her. I have been worried about you for a while, actually."
Isidore smiled, inquiring, "you've been worried about me?"
Eva hesitantly looked up at him, nodding with a nervous laugh before saying, "I have. It's a bit embarrassing to say aloud though. It's just that you always keep things to yourself, and I can never tell what you're thinking or how I can help you. And after what you've been put through… well, anybody would be struggling in some way."
She paused for a moment, her eyes softening as she asked, "I'm going to ask the same question your mom asked Professor Lestrange. How are you doing Isidore? Really?"
His smile faded a little as he looked down to the table between them. He didn't say anything for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer her.
"I don't really know, Eva."
He leaned against the table, shoving his hands in the pockets of his slacks, looking to the old model of the solar system at the other corner of the room illuminated by the evening sunlight from the window nearby. He saw the Quidditch field out in the distance, remembering the memories of his parents competing there before the mess Cornelius made. He shrugged, then said, "I mean, I'm relieved. My mom's out of Azkaban, but it doesn't feel real. It's not normal, Eva. My mom was under a curse, and the man who we all thought was our father is actually just a deranged uncle that tried to ruin the lives of my mother and real father. Also, it was definitely weird meeting a stranger and finding out he's my father. And the poor guy felt just as confused as me. Actually, I feel really bad for him."
Eva frowned, nodding as she remembered how enraged Evander was when he found out the entire truth. She felt his pain too, and it had driven her to tears. Anyone would've felt that way.
"I do too. He always loved your mom, and didn't get to have the life he wanted with her. He thought this entire time that the kids she had weren't his, but he still loved you all like you were his own. And then he finds out they were both used and you actually are their son, which in turn makes him feel guilty because he couldn't raise you or protect you. I can't imagine how he must feel," Eva lamented, heaving a frustrated sigh with a shake of her head.
"I know. Besides my mom, he was the most screwed-over of any of us. And I only say that because she was in Azkaban with her memories wiped until a few days ago."
"He had to deal with everything all alone," Eva added quietly, to which Isidore nodded in agreement.
"Well, how do you feel about them being together in the future? It seems likely," she asked, and he shrugged.
"I honestly always imagined being a buzzkill for any relationship my mom would have if she ever got out of Azkaban, mostly because I don't trust people anymore and I saw how that supposed 'marriage' went before. But Evander—"
Isidore sighed, crossing his leg as he reluctantly admitted, "he's a good guy. I hope it works out for them. I don't like admitting that, but they deserve to get back to the lives they wanted to live. And he clearly pictured it with her. And we all know she always loved him, otherwise that curse wouldn't have broken. So long as she can be happy, and that he treats her well, I'm okay with them. And he's my father. I learned from you that I need to give people chances, so I think he's a good one to start with."
Eva smiled, clearly surprised as she squeaked, "you learned that from me?"
Isidore's eyes flew open, realizing he admitted something sentimental, and he found himself unable to say anything to deny it. Eva was clearly touched, happy that Isidore's rare moment of sentimentality was actually inspired by her.
"I guess I did learn from you. I just— you're good to people and all—" he stuttered, then huffed an exasperated sigh as he looked at his watch.
"We really need to head to dinner!" He cried, which made her grin as she collected the last of the books she had laid out. The two of them went to the counter, where Eva plopped her other books to the side in order to see the librarian.
"May I please check this one out?" She asked, sliding the newest book she wanted to add to her collection. The librarian gave her a sad smile, saying, "Eva, you're at the limit as to how many books you can check out. And I made three exceptions for you this past week."
"Oh no! I got behind with my reading because there's been some… things going on. Blimey, I was waiting for this one to be returned so I could borrow it," she mumbled, then Isidore said, "may I check it out?"
"You could, or I could put it on hold for her," the librarian told them, and Isidore shook his head saying, "I'd be happy to let her borrow it. I trust her."
Eva blinked in gleeful surprise, seeing Isidore giving the librarian a charming smile before writing his name on the card that would be inserted in the book's inside cover, as well as in the record book of the library.
"Return it in two weeks," the librarian told him as she handed the book over. He nodded, replying, "yes ma'am. Thank you."
Eva and Isidore left, heading toward the great hall for the second half of dinner. He held out the book for her, saying, "take good care of it."
She took it, folding her arms around it to hug it to her chest. She nodded, saying, "thank you, Isidore. I'll return it on time, I promise."
He gave her a lopsided grin, ruffling her hair before turning to walk ahead of her. She hurriedly smoothed out her hair with a goofy grin, running after him. He slowed his pace, waiting for her much shorter legs to catch up. They soon entered the loud great hall, heading to their usual spot in the end table near the windows. It was Slytherin's table for breakfast and lunch, but had become the group's usual dinner spot.
"Eat up," Eleonora called, tossing a warm roll of sourdough bread. Isidore caught it, smirking as he took a bite while sliding into the bench across from William. Eva sat next to him, hearing Isidore announce, "did you all hear the good news?"
"What specifically? We've had all a pretty good week," William asked as he scooped some sautéed spinach onto his fork. Tom and Eleonora exchanged a smile, then he said, "we were selected as Slytherin's prefects next year."
William coughed with a muffled, "yes!" as he tried swallowing the food he was scarfing down. Tom clapped him on the back, and handed him a glass of water.
"That's wonderful, congratulations!" Eva exclaimed. Elaine clapped, and Victoria said, "I knew you two would be picked. We'll be in good hands next year."
"Yeah, now I have to actually behave," James laughed, making Tom lightly elbow him with an eye roll.
"And for the other news, Isidore met his mom today," Eleonora added, winning a gasp out of Victoria and Elaine.
"How was that?!" Victoria shrieked, and Isidore shrugged saying, "it was fine."
He then stole a glance at Eva, lowering his stiffened shoulders with a kind smile, saying, "actually, it was really nice. I loved seeing her after all this time. I can't really find the words to describe it, but it made me really happy. I feel like I can finally relax."
"Did Isidore Lestrange just say something heartfelt?" Elaine whispered in Victoria's ear, who slowly nodded after closing her dropped jaw.
"Um, I think my parents are going to give their relationship another try too, since they have a long history. It makes sense; that curse wouldn't have lifted if my mom didn't feel some sort of love for him," Isidore mumbled, poking at his food with his fork.
"That's great news," Eleonora said with a warm smile. Isidore looked over to her, and she said, "they can pick up where they left off, and finally be happy by at least trying to see what they missed out on."
Isidore nodded, admitting, "you're right. She'll make the right decision for herself."
The group proceeded to bombard Isidore with questions about her, each one bringing back fond memories he had with her from his few years with her. The mood at their table was lighter than usual, as all of them finally had the weight lifted from their shoulders regarding his family dynamic. Although they couldn't stay much longer; they all had to return to their dorms, as the prefects were holding meetings in all the houses regarding the move-out for the summer since final exams were approaching.
After the meetings ended, the students all either returned to the library, study rooms, or to their beds for the night. Tom had excused himself for the evening from Victoria, Isidore, and Eleonora as they left the house. Victoria decided to turn back and study in bed, forgetting that she had been told about a potential pop quiz in her History of Magic class scheduled for the next morning.
Tom went down the familiar empty hallway on the seventh floor, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.
What do I need? He thought, looking at the spot of where the door would appear for the Room of Requirement. Remembering the stash of books with old and powerful charms in the room, he thought I need to read those books, walking past the room three times.
To his surprise, no door appeared.
He tried again, with a thought that was more honest than the last.
I need power.
He paced again, concentrating on the thought, still seeing nothing. He looked around, ensuring that he was indeed in the right hallway, still not seeing anyone around that could somehow be blocking the room.
I need Eleonora's power.
He tried, again, giving the bare wall a glare as it stubbornly refused to show the door. Crossing his arms, he thought of possible reasons why he couldn't enter the room, not noticing the apparition that appeared behind him. Once his concentration dwindled, he spun around with the unnerving feeling of being watched, jumping in surprise to see the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw behind him.
"Merlin's beard!" He cried, staggering back a few steps. He was not only surprised by her presence, but had heard she only appeared to Ravenclaw students.
"Ms. Ravenclaw, may I ask if you need anything from me?" He said. His muggle upbringing was taking over, as he couldn't help but feel frightened by the ghost in front of him. It seemed that the pure blood students were quite used to them, but he struggled with their sudden appearances when he was alone. He couldn't entirely remove the underlying fear of ghosts that the muggle world engraved in his brain.
"I'm curious about you. I've seen you coming to the room for a long time, and have rarely seen it lock someone out," her calm voice echoed, sounding almost disembodied.
"It locked me out? How?" Tom asked, his surprise replacing the scare he had a moment ago.
"Being honest with yourself means you're being honest with the room," she said, backing away before disappearing through the wall. Tom turned away, looking back at where the door would appear, repeating the words she said in his head.
The room only reveals itself if I ask for my biggest need at that moment?
Tom thought to himself, going through the things he already used and possible things he wanted for himself. He tried perfect grades, food, air, health, Hogwarts, but struck out every time.
Of course she gave me a bloody riddle. Ms. Ravenclaw believes she's that blasted eagle knocker on the door to her own house, apparently, Tom whined in his thoughts with a scowl. The fact that Hogwarts didn't work shocked him. He hated Wool's, and viewed Hogwarts as his true home. He leaned against the wall, sinking to the floor to take a break for a moment, looking out the window into the moonlit sky.
Isidore finally got what he wanted. So did his sisters, and parents. Must be nice to finally have that, Tom thought. He leaned on his wrist, propping an elbow on one of his knees as he stared up at the Orion constellation. The blue supergiant Rigel twinkled in the corner of it, and Tom found himself focused on it for a while, his mind recounting the events of the day.
He remembered the innocent smile Isidore had when he admitted how happy he was to see his mother, genuinely seeming happy to have a family back. Theodora seemed that way to Tom, already having been incredibly kind and loving in the first few minutes of knowing him.
He perked up a little with an idea, pushing himself to stand, then began to pace past the door again. He closed his eyes, concentrating on Theodora's smile, hearing her words over and over again.
Tom, I would've raised you, had I known.
You're my family!
He then pictured Isidore when the two of them would sit in the quiet common room, talking about literally any subject or playing a game of chess. There was a comfort around Isidore, where Tom felt that he could be understood by him more than some of the other friends. Eva's warmth came to him, remembering her homemade cookies she gave him before their Christmas break for his birthday and her bear-hugs. Elaine and Victoria's snarkiness always made him laugh in some way, then William and James pranking each other always offered a form of entertainment for everyone. He lastly pictured Eleonora, seeing her as a child at Wool's that one day with her childlike excitement of meeting him. She was more quiet than Eva, but had a smile just as radiant. He thought of her wit as she'd bicker with the others, the hilarity that ensued when she was given a sleeping draft by the matron to help with her insomnia that made her ridiculously clumsy and loopy. She was intelligent and strong, yet had the loudest shriek as they went through a haunted house in Hogesmeade the previous October.
Tom laughed aloud, remembering her trying to run off and being yanked back by Isidore, her jumping onto Tom's back with a screech as she was jump-scared, and her arms flapping with air punches as an actor popped out next to her face. As serious as she was on the outside, she had a side that brought him comfort.
She was like him. She powerful bloodline with incredible abilities, but she acted as a normal human. Because of her, he had a group of people so different than the crowd at Wool's. He felt like one of them, not like a freak our an outcast.
Theodora and Evander welcomed him with open arms, and he felt a strange sensation deep in his chest. He was used to being alone, but found it strangely dreadful in that moment. Like he needed to be with them, going about their usual comedically peculiar lives.
And the reality that summer break was coming actually made his stomach drop. He would need to be at Wool's, dealing with the antics of the other children whenever they would gang-up against him. He couldn't do anything about it, because it would confirm the rumors of there being something dangerously different about him. He would much rather stay at Hogwarts.
Then he paused for a moment. The thought of being at Hogwarts without the others felt strangely empty. He thought he needed to be away from Wool's, but he realized what his true subconscious mind desired.
I need… a family.
Moments later, he was entering the Room of Requirement without a trace. Helena Ravenclaw made her way down the adjacent hallway, looking down to see Tom entering the room. She raised an eyebrow curiously, then faded into the moonlight from the window behind her.
A/N: Goodness, that was horrendously long compared to my usual chapters. But I didn't know how to break it up in a way I wanted it, so I just decided to slam a lot into this chapter.
Helena Ravenclaw will return to speak with Tom in future chapters~
For now, I wanted Tom to still kind of be on his own but start to feel feelings without the help of anyone else. Besides a ghost, I guess. The name of the chapter is obviously geared toward his encounter with Helena, because that was my main point among all the other stuff.
I'm just ready to wrap up the fourth year, but am having a block on how to do that without it being rushed. It'll probably be a summary chapter/time-skip, so we'll see how that goes. As always, thanks for reading and let me know if there's anything I can improve on or if you guys have suggestions for future character interactions.
