GENESIS | TMR

☯︎ | FIFTEEN

————— ☯︎ —————

[ xv. balance game: game = over ]

When Adelaide turned four, her parents took her to a petting zoo, something she'd begged to do. It had taken some convincing on her father's part— his wife had always been repulsed by the mere idea of such unsophisticated activities— but the moment the trip had been approved of, she'd become a blur of energy, bursting with excitement.

It was there that she'd gotten to see a Fwooper in person. The African-native bird had been trained to be silent (as to not drive visitors insane with it's high-pitched songs), and would perch on the arm of an employee, allowing those who approached to touch it.

Drawn in by the bright, vivid colors of it's feathers, Adelaide had been among those to pet the Fwooper, but immediately latched onto the tail, not wanting to let go.

It had taken her father's coaxing to get her to release it, much to the annoyance of the bird, under the explanation that it wasn't kind, even if her intentions weren't to be cruel.

Let go, Del Belle, he'd told her, voice patient but stern. You can't hold on forever.

Roughly twelve years later, her mother had told her the same thing, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration as Adelaide curled into a ball in the corner of her room at St. Mungo's, attempting to hide from the darkness of the outside world. It was just a reminder that her father was no longer there.

He's gone. Let it go.

But, if life was a balance game, wasn't she meant to hold on? What else would keep the weight suspended in the air? What else would keep it steady beneath the vibrations of all that could go wrong?

The second she loosened her grip, she'd be giving up. She'd lose the balance game.

That was the last thing she had ever wanted.

The air was thick with unspoken tension, but Adelaide paid it little mind, glancing at the others gathered around the table. Though Wesley stared at his hands and Noah occupied himself with a string of fabric on his sweater, Lyra met her gaze straight on, pale eyes as undecipherable as they tended to be.

The Great Hall had yet to be filled with dinner, the other students spending the last twenty minutes either in classes or studying in the library or dormitories. Not having anything to do in the meantime, Adelaide had agreed to meet them and talk, ecstatic that they were slowly banding back together. She'd missed having something untainted, Light, around.

She gave them a window of opportunity to speak, letting the abnormal silence settle over them, before speaking herself. "Well? How are you all? I've missed you— it's like we never see each other anymore."

"That's because we don't," Noah remarked softly. The string was only getting longer, making his cuffs tighter the harder he tugged.

"That's fair," Adelaide allowed, giving a weak grin. "I'm sorry for that, really."

"You're busy," Lyra excused the other girl. She threw Noah a small frown, but the prefect paid it no mind. "We understand. Wes mentioned you were doing extra credit for Professor Slughorn?"

Selwyn nodded, having forgotten the lie. The others shared a brief glance, but it went unnoticed. "For the Slug Club. If all goes well within the next month, I'll be free to see you lot more. Being with the Slytherins is fun and all, but it can get a bit... stuffy, I suppose.