[ 1 ] EXPLODE ( r. black ! )

twelve || too sentimental

ACT ONE; CHAPTER TWELVE
TOO SENTIMENTAL

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"SOMETHING'S HAPPENED."

                Nightmares revolved around those words in Hogwarts. People wonder whether it was worrying they hadn't seen their friends in half an hour, even the library wasn't as safe as it used to be. Cries that their brothers and sisters who'd already graduated hadn't written to them in a few days could mean the worst. Then there was those who hadn't seen the one they loved in a while who said nothing out of fear of breaking down.

                Nobody wanted to be the one left behind when those two words killed someone. Everybody was allowed to be selfish when they weren't affected.

                By the year of 1977, each Sixth and Seventh Years had a perfected list of people whose safety they'd pray to any of the Gods for. Kelsie was the first one Eleanor crossed off her mental list as they rushed to the Great Hall. On the way there, a pale faced Lily Evans could be seen clutching Marlene as desperately as Eleanor was Kelsie; another two names had been crossed off Eleanor's list.

                Panic flooded through Eleanor when she reached the Hall's arch and came to a blunt stop. Unlike any other day, nobody growled at her for holding up traffic. Everybody was far too preoccupied finding those they loved to care about one panicking girl. Especially a girl who looked completely terrified – there was always a sense of solidarity between everyone in those situations, even with Slytherins.

                Then, Eleanor spotted Pandora across the Hall. With a thankfulness she would never be able to describe, no matter how many times she lived through it, Eleanor looked above in silent prayer. Most days, she wasn't religious but when whoever-it-was saved her best friend then she was. The belief of Eleanor was certainly conditional.

                Still holding Kelsie, the girl rushed over to Pandora and threw herself into a hug with the girl. In the midst of it, she heard Pandora's thin laugh which was her own sign of relief. Under tugging from the duo, Kelsie joined the hug with her own show of relief, forehead kisses. Usually, that was out of character for Kelsie but everybody did strange things when they found something lost. Once, Pandora drew a love heart on her forehead when she found her missing lipstick.

                Taking their seats in a line for once, they continued to survey the Hall. Nobody asked each other about their list of people but Eleanor could guess who Kelsie and Pandora were looking for. The love she felt for the two girls found Eleanor smiling when they expressed their ease each time. Each girl did the same with Eleanor's thankful prayer at the sight of Remus, Sirius, James and Peter.

                "Thank Merlin," Kelsie muttered at one point. Through following her line of sight, Regulus Black moved into vision. As if he felt the two gazes staring at him the boy turned and nodded once, another sign of relief but it was also a sign that had an unclear 'send to' instruction. Therefore, there was that awkward moment where both girls nodded back.