[ 1 ] EXPLODE ( r. black ! )

twenty || heart and mind

ACT ONE; CHAPTER TWENTY
HEART AND MIND

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FOR YEARS, AS many would know, Quidditch had been Eleanor's primary escape from reality. The reality of War, of her family life or just when Regulus was feeling particularly annoying that day, you name it, if it bothered her, she was on a broom hitting the skies mark and feeling a whole lot better about herself. In some ways she guessed that made her selfish – abandoning everybody else to feel better about herself in something she knew would always be waiting for her alone – which was why she didn't actually mind focusing on her second escape.

Participating in every single non-mandatory class she could worm her way into before Slughorn announced enough was enough because she couldn't possibly attend Transfiguration and duelling class at the exact same time – "not even you are that able, future Minister Archord" – was another, she supposed, hobby of hers. It was a hobby made of other hobbies, some she liked and some she most definitely did not, all that would look good in the eyes of future voters – at least, the ones she didn't repetitively beat then boast about it any duelling-like lessons.

One of her favourites, as Gryffindor as it sounded, was the newly added, per Professors Gideon and Fabian Prewett's request, sword fighting lesson. From the beginning of September, Eleanor had improved at a remarkable pace due to not only her rough-and-tumble attitude thanks to Quidditch but extra help from her Defence teachers since even they, who prided themselves on fairness with students, couldn't possibly deny Eleanor when she was pestering them after every class for just one more tip. After all, Eleanor Archord couldn't possibly do anything by half.

Which was why, midway through showing Professor Gideon how exactly he should roll on the floor after jumping down from a height with his sword in perfect pirate fashion, Eleanor was adgitated to say the least when her Seventh Year Gryffindor friends arrived at the door. To say they had to drag her away from the class and bind her by wrapping her in clothes that would help her survive the winter air may sound like an exaggeration, but it was the truth. However, once Eleanor was on the path leading to Hogsmeade, she found her struggling stop as she rearranged her clothes so she didn't look like a madman who'd escaped prison because she was only human and no human she had ever met could resists Honeyduke chocolate.

The chocolate was what Eleanor made sure everybody knew she was going for as she walked beside her five friends, with a huff in her voice. Laughing, Sirius put his arm around her shoulders before gaining a glare and slowly removing it. "I know you like to stab people in your spare time now that you can't do Quidditch but all we thought is you might like to take a break to come here since it's the last Hogsmeade weekend trip, despite it being a bloody Thursday, of this calendar year but mostly for—"

"For the chocolate."

"For the chocolate!" Sirius echoed. "Mind you, don't let that Quidditch figure disappear since you've got to be back playing next year."