𝟏.| ✬ 𝒟ℯ𝒶𝓇 ℬ𝒾𝓁𝓁, ✬ {ℬ. 𝒲ℯ𝒶𝓈𝓁ℯ𝓎}

\ℯ𝒾ℊ𝒽𝓉ℯℯ𝓃\

~

"Ten weeks," Eleanora heard Hermione say, "That's not ages, that's like a second for Nicolas Flamel." Eleanora wasn't sure who Nicolas Flamel was, though the name sounded familiar, but the sentiment stood. Exams were only ten weeks away and she had barely started studying.

When she expressed this to the twins, they both laughed. "You always get all nervous about exams and then come out top of your class, El, stop worrying," George said, throwing a pillow at her.

She sighed and got up. "I'm not top of my class... Phillipa'll always have me beat. Anyways, I'm going to the library to start making a study schedule. I'll see you two later."

She picked up her bag and stepped out of the portrait hole, heading towards the library. Before she could get there though, she ran into Oliver walking in the opposite direction. She smiled and kissed him. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Back to the common room, you?"

"Library."

He took her hand. "I'll go too then."

When they got to the library, Eleanora led Oliver to her usual seat, the place where she usually studied with Phillipa and Beatrice. Despite living in the same dormitory, Eleanora didn't see Phillipa and Beatrice much outside of classes anymore. Of course, they were all great friends, oftentimes staying up late at night talking or dancing or messing around, and they were always happy to help each other with homework, but they had separate groups of friends. In the library, Eleanora opened her notebook, starting to scribble out a study schedule for finals.

"Whose sweater is that?" Oliver asked out of the blue.

"Ummm, Freds? Or it might be Charlie's, I don't remember..." she said, barely looking up.

Oliver frowned. "Do you always wear their clothes?"

Eleanora put her quill down and looked up at him. "Yeah."

"Do you have to... you know, wear them all the time? And- with Fred and George-" then, seeing her face, he backtracked. "Nevermind, it's stupid, I know."

Eleanora wasn't about to let it go so easily. "When I moved into their house after, you know, getting kicked out of mine-" Oliver sighed and leaned back in his seat, "I didn't have enough clothes with me, so yeah- I borrowed some."

"I said nevermind, just drop it."

"I'm not the one who brought it up." She knew she shouldn't really be mad at him, but she couldn't help it. She didn't get angry easily, but little things like this that reminded her of her place in life always fired her up.

"It just bothers me sometimes how much time you spend with them. It's like you like them more than you like me," Oliver said in a rush.

Eleanora closed her notebook and stood up. "They're my best friends, Wood. I like them more than just about everyone in the world. If you can't handle that I don't know what to tell you."

Oliver sighed. "Eleanora..." But she was already walking away.

Not knowing where else to go, Eleanora found her way down to the great hall. She took a seat a few feet away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione and pulled out her notebook again. Having lost interest in her study schedule, she flipped to a new page.

Dear Bill
I know this is late, but thank you so much for the Christmas present! The pendant was so beautiful, and I'd love to hear more about the tomb it came from. I'm glad you translated it for me, I wouldn't have been able to. Ancient Runes is a great class, but we haven't learned anything about Egypt yet. I'm really excited to take Ancient Studies next year. I think that the inscription on the pendant means that you have to forever keep searching for knowledge in order to truly bring meaning to life. I think it's beautiful. I really am sorry I haven't written. I kept starting letters and then not finishing them. I'm determined to finish this one. We won the Quidditch cup last week because our new seeker, Harry Potter, is an absolute genius. He's really saving the team. We thought after Charlie left we would never win again, but here we are. It was a great match, I wish you'd been there to see it. Oliver has been working the team really hard, but I suppose it's paying off. The twins and I found a few new passages this year, it seems like there's always more to find. We don't get caught out of bed past curfew as much anymore, but not because we don't go out. We're just better at not getting caught. Maybe it's because you're not here to constantly get us in trouble. You never really turned us in though, thank you for that. I'm sure you already know this, but all of your brothers stayed here for Christmas and it was wonderful. Fred and George made me this really nice bulletin board with pictures of everyone on it, even you! Hogwarts isn't really the same without you, you know. We all miss you a lot. I want to hear all about Egypt, so please write me back soon.

All the best, Eleanora

That night, Eleanora avoided Oliver by visiting Fred and George's dormitory. Lee was out with Alicia Spinnet, hiding away in a passageway the twins had shown him, so they had the dorm to themselves. Eleanora had mentioned that her and Oliver had gotten into an argument, and the twins didn't press for details. She laid in Fred's bed, eating some of the food they'd gotten from the kitchen, and listened to the twins laying out plans for end of the year pranks. Getting bored, she rolled over, grabbing the map off of the bedside table. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she muttered, and watched the map reveal itself. "Lee and Alicia got caught" she said, noticing the two dots accompanied by one that read "McGonagall."

"Damn," George said, drawing something out in his notebook and showing it to Fred, who nodded.

Eleanora rolled over onto her stomach and traced the map with her fingers. "Hmm, come look at this."

"What are those three doing up in the tower?" They watched the dots labeled Harry, Ron, and Hermione move down the staircase out of the tower and come face to face with the dot that read Snape.

"Damn," said Fred.