how it feels to be alive {tom riddle}

sixty-five: importance of occlumency

IMPORTANCE OF OCCLUMENCY

The day had come, as much as she wished she could just keep ignoring it.

Tom sat on his bed, only in his black boxers and fiddling with the time turner hanging around his neck.

The previous night was one Lucia would treasure forever. Neither of them got a wink of sleep, having spent the dark hours in each others arms talking until the sun came up.

They had pushed away the fact that he would be leaving from their minds that night, channeling their occlumency skills against their own rampaging thoughts.

Lucia now took his hand in hers, tracing her fingers over his knuckles as she finally allowed the reality to seep into her consciousness.

Tom exhaled through his nose, dropping the gold metal to his chest as he brought his other hand to rest on top of Lucia's.

"Lucia, my darling. I really need you to stay strong through this." Tom looked up and into her eyes, a softness in them that she was lucky enough to get to experience, because not many did. "You are doing so well. The sky is the limit for you and I would never forgive myself if you stumbled back into old habits after this."

Lucia nodded solemnly.

"Let's get dressed and then we'll go to the forest, yes?" He gave her a weak smile.

She nodded again, sliding off the bed and standing to dress herself.

Their hands were intertwined as they walked down the quiet corridors, the silence was comforting and thick with thought.

"Excuse me, Miss Cohen and Mr Rosier." A regal sounding Scottish accent bounced off the stone walls from behind them.

The pair stopped and turned around, meeting the gaze of the Headmistress as stood at the door to a classroom. Her hair was pulled back in a neat french twist and rich velvet green robes flowed over her frame. She looked ridiculously put together for the time of the morning considering it was following a late night of celebrations.

"I'd like to have a quick discussion with you both, if you wouldn't mind." She requested, but something about her tone made it sound like there was not an alternative option.

"Of course." Tom gave her one of his charming smiles and moved towards the older witch with Lucia right by his side.

The transfiguration classroom was filled with its usual creatures lining the walls, with leftover writing on the chalk board from previous classes only half rubbed off.

"Though I do not teach as much anymore, that has not stopped my passion for the complex art of transfiguration." McGonagall gave a tight lipped smile as Lucia's gaze wandered across the desks covered with various objects and animals. "Please take a seat." She gestured to the seats pulled out from the desks at the front of the room, and took her own place behind the teachers desk.

Lucia and Tom obliged of course, silently taking their seats and looking up at the professor expectantly.

"I'm going to be completely transparent with you two." She began, a stern expression on her face. "However, I do not want you to see this as some kind of attack, or intervention. This is merely a case of ensuring the best possible outcomes for everybody."

Lucia nodded, feeling nerves creeping their way up her abdomen.

"Your identity, Tom, is no secret to me. Let me make that clear."

Lucia immediately rushed to the defence, "I'm unsure what you are talking about Professor with regards to Tom Rosier. His identity does not extend beyond that which he presents."