Pick Your Poison | Tom Riddle |

Chapter Thirty Four: Finding A Place

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"The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, the colour that gives you hope that the sun will set only to rise again."
-- Ram Charan

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In the grand living room of the Parkinson Manor, dinner was served to the Aurors and their family guests in a very comforting, healing silence.

Marcella, Evelyn, and Eleanor helped their mothers in the kitchen in silence as well. But soon, the silence turned into giggles here and there as Eleanor and Marcella began to toy with the soapy sink water with their spells and mess around with each other to lighten the mood. It was clear her best friend was still rattled, but by the time they all finished eating there was a more relaxed feeling to the tense air as they waited for Lemus Parkinson to return home.

Eleanor knew Tom was awfully quiet for reasons unlike everyone else's, and she kept a close eye on him knowing that spending time with a family was not particularly something he had experience with.

James had kept trying to talk to him though, and to her surprise, Tom kept up with it surprisingly well. Her brother was truly a diplomat at heart despite being in the training force for the Aurors that sat among them too.

Their living room was a quaint yet decorative atmosphere not really meant to have people sitting around it but by all means, they all got quite comfy under the warm candlelight and chandelier. A big fireplace was seated between two gaping windows where the dark skies sat behind. Marcella did keep averting her eyes to them but then again, so did Eleanor. Tall walls of sage green surrounded them providing some comfort here and there and every sofa or chair they could drag in here was filled.

"Alright, who needs a refill." Aristelle heaved, brushing down her khaki capris as she lit a cigarette.

Eleanors eyes widened, glancing at Evelyn and James in horror before they all started cackling. Their mother shrugged, rolling her eyes as she inhaled the sweet tobacco.

"Merlin, give me a break." Aristelle said, running a hand through her sandy blonde hair. "I almost lost half my family today to that damn monster. Your mother deserves a drink and a smoke."

"Cheers to that m'lady!" cheered Eddie, laughing with the fellow red head beside him Theseus as they raised their glasses.

"Are you all cheering without me?" asked a voice that entered the room by the oak bordered entry way.

Everyone's heads turned to see Lemus Parkinson enter the room, the exhaustion written all across his humorous face and Eleanor immediately sprung up from the sofa to hug her father. She knew all was well when they had defeated Grindelwald for another time, but their were still knots in her stomach that could finally relax now that her family was all under the same roof. Behind her, Evelyn and her mother were quick to greet him as well.

"So, what's the verdict, Lemus? Or should we get the drinks first?" asked Steven, his tie undone and gray hair disheveled upon his head from the long day they all had.

Looking around, Eleanor didn't realize quite how tired they all looked and surely whatever liquor the bar cart had in store for them wouldn't help.

"Drinks." her father nodded, waving his wand by the cart in the corner of the room.

Eleanor went to sit back to Tom who was still mildly uncomfortable, but part of her knew he would rather be here than the orphanage for now no matter the cost. Even if it meant the nagging questions from her brother. Once they were all situated, Marcella sitting on the floor by her legs and her parents seated among the Aurors with Evelyn and her mother, her father still could not sit. To her surprise, when the drinks were poured and glasses floated out to all of them, a glass had found its way to each her and her friends who all looked at each other in surprise.