For the Greater Good || Tom Riddle ||

Chapter Nineteen: Hiccups

"Are you alright?"

Gwen's hand froze on the doorknob to her quarters. She had never felt more tired. Every bone in her body was weary, her head pounded, and she could hardly keep her eyes open.

Stiffly, she peered over her shoulder. Across the hall, Kenji stood in the threshold of his apartment.

His body language screamed comfort as he casually draped himself against the wood frame, but his voice was soft and reserved.

His golden eyes appeared concerned.

"You seem... frazzled."

They had just returned from the meeting at the broom shop in Knockturn Alley. The official first assembly of all the active Order of the Phoenix members. It had been entirely exhausting and uncomfortable, sprung on her on an evening when she thought the most demanding thing she was going to be doing was attending a rowdy Gryffindor Quidditch practice.

She hadn't allocated her energy appropriately for the outing. Now, she wanted nothing more than to retreat and hibernate, and possibly, sneak away in the middle of the night never to been heard from again.

Gwen scoffed. "That's an understatement."

Kenji's eyes narrowed as he studied her. "But you seem resolute at the same time."

She began to roll her eyes and push open the door, but his next comment caught her in its clutches.

"You want to see him."

She stilled, facing away from him, thankful he could not see the grimace that lined her features as she squeezed the doorknob even tighter in her palm. Something about the accusation pained her—the shame that was paired with its truth the most potent.

"You were right," she whispered, resting her head against the door.

"About?"

"I didn't attend Uagadou."

Kenji nodded solemnly in understanding as his gaze lowered to the floor. "You met him as a student. Here."

There was a beat as she collected herself. It felt like she was carving a part of herself out with a knife by admitting that her life was such a farce. A series of bad choices. Of forced perspective.

"Sixth year," Gwen swallowed, still facing away from him. "I came here from Durmstrang to see to some... unfinished business."

"Is that what Archie was referring to? You dueled Grindelwald?" Kenji paused, weighing the words in his mouth. They didn't seem to taste right. "Did the Ministry send you here? With the Obscurus?"

The onslaught of questions was nearly laughable, yet Gwen's face remained impassive. None of them were amusing. It just revealed how little Dumbledore divulged to his fresh followers.

"No."

She turned around to fully face him and it was the first time that Kenji Fukuda truly saw the Darkness lurking underneath. It swirled in her irises, begging to be let out.

"The Ministry has no clue I exist, even though I worked right under their noses for nearly four years. I met Tom Riddle during our sixth year when Gellert Grindelwald sent me here to kill Albus Dumbledore and collect the Deathly Hallows. The duel you're referring to is when I sucked all of Grindelwald's magic out of his skeleton, leaving him a pathetic husk of what he once was because death was too good for him. And," she said in a flat tone, as if bored, "the Obscurus... well, it still might kill Albus Dumbledore. To be determined."

There was a beat and then, a smile of a snake.

It most definitely didn't reach her eyes.

Kenji's mouth was wide open. He closed it, his brow furrowing, and then opened it again, as if to speak, but then decided to close it again. He cleared his throat and straightened his body, so he was no longer leaning against the threshold.