[ 1 ] EXPLODE ( r. black ! )

zero || prologue

ACT ONE;
PROLOGUE

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FOR AS LONG as Eleanor could remember, she'd described her life as 'an always changing shitstorm'. There would be a short period of time were Eleanor would dare to believe she could have a chance at your simple average life and then she'd manage it to destroy that moment completely. However, she hadn't had one as bad as the Hat yelling 'SLYTHERIN' in a good six years - she seemed to forget she was due one.

                And she definitely forgot it had grounds to change the course of her life... Or she would have been far more careful.

                For now, though, Eleanor soared through her sky for the ending of those glorious barely-changing days. Using all her strength not to crack under the autumn weather that had frozen her knuckles, she prepared herself to throw the Quaffle - it would be the shot that pretty much secured a Slytherin win for that match.

                Out of nowhere a flash of jet black came into Eleanor's peripheral vision. However, by that second she caught sight of it, it was far too late for somebody with even the quickest of reflexes to react (and, even Eleanor would admit, she wouldn't be rooting for Seeker any time soon). The iron slammed into her head with much force and she dropped the Quaffle in an instant.

                But she also dropped herself.

                Eleanor's fingers slipped from the front of her broomstick and the ice that smoothed it didn't allow her to desperately clutch it again. So she simply fell and she didn't even care because in seconds she'd blacked out, after all.

                "And that's Eleanor Archord hit by a Bludger - an awful hit that was! Was that even legal? Oh Merlin, she's falling! Professor!"

                People in there stands rose to their feet in a leap, desperate to see the sight that had gotten their commentator so side-tracked and concerned. Once their eyes clocked a falling Eleanor Archord, people began to scream and point her out. There hadn't been a death in many years at Hogwarts but they feared they'd witness one that day - to fall from such a height after a Bludger to the head, people knew that not even Dumbledore could survive that...

                Members of both the Slytherin team and the Ravenclaw team all dropped their game and rushed from every end of the Qudditch pitch to help. However, none was as quick as a certain Regulus Black who dodged every other player with agile ease. The rush in his veins allowed him to catch Eleanor in the final crucial moments before she hit the ground.

                "And Seeker Black saves the day! Wait, Regulus Black? I thought that they - right, sorry Professor, no gossiping."

                If Eleanor had been conscious, she probably would have scrambled out of Regulus' arms quicker than light and took her chances dropping to her possible death. Regardless, she wasn't conscious, as much as Regulus attempted to lightly slap her face to get her to be so. All he could do was lay her onto the ground gently and call over Madam Pomfrey.

                "Nice catch, Black!" Ravenclaw Seeker Arav Patil called, waving over a flash of gold. Regulus simply glared at the older boy, which made him fly off.

                Noticing how close all the teachers were, Regulus began to back off from the evergrowing crowd around Eleanor. After all, the last person she needed was her so-called archenemy, even if he did save her a life. Although, Regulus was certain that everybody was simply going to 'coincidentally' forget to tell Eleanor that fact - nobody needed the drama that would follow.

                Louisa Flint looked up from checking on Eleanor. "Why didn't you catch the Snitch, Black? You were so close!"

                "And Eleanor was so close to dying."

                "But you hate her." Barty Crouch Jr pointed out from pulling Regulus further away from the crowd around Eleanor. It seemed he'd creeped onto the pitch alongside Eleanor's best friend, Pandora, who was yelling at a certain Ravenclaw Beater - Regulus had never been afraid of that girl until that moment.

                Regulus glanced over to Eleanor being carried away. "Not enough to watch her die."

                Thus, Eleanor's life changed again.

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WORD COUNT: 691

waddup i'm milli i'm 15 and i never learned how to do a fuckin' update schedule so bare with me on this.