[ 1 ] EXPLODE ( r. black ! )

fourteen || white noise

ACT ONE; CHAPTER FOURTEEN
WHITE NOISE

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OH, HOW THE first Occlumency lesson was like a dream that Eleanor was desperate to continue every time she closed her eyes. By the time her third lesson rolled around and she was sat, eyes closed on the chair, Eleanor was regretting ever booking both a second and third. Gone were the days where it was simple icy stroke of magic; breaking out gagging and exhausted were the new craze of the lessons.

                To make matters worse, the almost-friendship seemed to have been torn down as quickly as it was built. The unusual anger Regulus had harboured for her for days lingered behind each of Eleanor's glares because, for once, she had done nothing to provoke him. With all the factors coming to play a harsh derby game, it was no surprise that after less than half an hour they were arguing.

                "Stop doing it so hard!" Eleanor barked at him from the floor. At that point, she debated practicing there rather than the chair – she was more accustomed to it.

                "Fine," He sighed, reluctantly helping her back onto her feet but not waiting as long as he usually did to do so. "Just remember that you have to stop feeling so much."

                Brilliant advice. Easier said than done though.

                Closing her eyes as a signal, the chest appeared before her eyes again. Eleanor pretended that she had as many locks on it as Frank Longbottom's door did for days after his best mates' deaths. So, when the new ice of a spell with sparks that burnt everything it touched, she felt cocky. Apparently, a little bit too cocky, because once again she found herself in a relentless conflict with the spell.

                Like always, she didn't win. Blistered from burns, Eleanor was forced yield herself and the chest burst open. Fleetingly, her parents came to mind from the punishments dance and, like the cruel magic Occlumency and Legilimency was, memories of those parents were brought out. Even while she broke out of the grasp, the words of hate and prejudice that came from the ones who were supposed to love her most surrounded her.

                On the floor of the Room again, Eleanor's hands washed her face and cleaned away the tears. Even when she wasn't battling against Legilimency, the memories of her parents were something she tried hard to keep away from the front of her brain. To have them thrown at her and, through the magic, Regulus was its own kind of pain.

                Turning her sigh of defeat into a growl, Eleanor snapped her head up to look at the boy. "I told you not to do it so much!"

                "You know what, Eleanor?" Regulus yelled, finally becoming infuriated enough to snap. "The Dark Lord won't hesitate to do it too much when he cashes in that favour!"