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Eva has never been the smartest person in her classes. Not even remotely close, really. Though that fact did not seem to bother her as it did others. In the first year, it had been an added stress when trying to satisfy other people. She had learned that she does not need to be at the top or be the best. The girl finds more satisfaction in doing what her mind is capable of and hiding behind others, not being the center of attention.
That is where Eva and her brother have one of their many differences. Not that he tries to be at the top of the class or be the smartest in the room, but he likes being the center of attention. He likes having all eyes on him and satisfying others around him. He likes getting praise and validation.
She does not. She does not crave attention. She does not want to be the center of attention. All Eva wants is to hide away in her own little world, but maybe that is her flaw.
Potions are one of those classes that she is only mediocre at. Kaelyn, on the other hand, is beyond smart and skilled in the subject. Really, she is top in many subjects, fitting the stereotype of a Ravenclaw student. The only reason Eva comes up towards the top with her friend is that she sits beside Kaelyn in class.
"We will be making Amortentia today," Professor Slughorn announces to the class. There is a chorus of groans and squeals of excitement. The drama will be hot this week.
"Oh, love," Kaelyn sighs, Eva's face staying neutral. Kaelyn is a sucker for love and romance while Eva is...not. The pair already knew what Kaelyn's would smell like, but even Eva harboured a bit of curiosity as to what hers would be.
"Can anyone tell me what Amortentia is?" Slughorn asks, Kaelyn's hand immediately darting into the air.
"It's a love potion, sir," Kaelyn tells him. "The most powerful."
"Correct as always, Heathers," Slughorn praises her. "Ten points to Ravenclaw."
The class was sorted into pairs, and they began potion-making. As usual, Kaelyn and Eva are together. Adan was right behind the two with a Hufflepuff.
"I'll go get the ingredients."
It wasn't long before the classroom was filled with spirals of steam, and many cauldrons had the recognizable mother-of-sheen color of amortentia.
"Now, amortentia has a different smell to each person; unless of course two people have similar likings for one person, and then we have quite a dilemma, don't we." The class let out a light laugh at Slughorn's words. He was joking of course, because amortentia actually has a different aroma for every person.
"I want you to write out what you smell, and I want a 10-inch essay about the potion tomorrow."
"So what do you smell?" Kaelyn asked.
"Why me? We both already know what yours is going to smell like."
"I don't want to go first!"
"Fine."
Eva bent down and took a large whiff of the potion. She instantaneously recognized the smells, for they were ones she held most dear to her heart.
"Peach muffins, my broom, and the astronomy tower," she told her friend. "Your turn!" Eva chirped.
Her friend raised her eyebrow at her urge to move on but bent down and smelled the contents of the cauldron.
"Chocolate frogs, the quidditch pitch, and... citrus cologne."
It was no doubt Adan. The quidditch pitch, the citrus cologne. Eva could almost gag at the way her friend's eyes softened. It was fucking adorable.
"I hate being such a third wheel," she groaned before Kaelyn swatted her on the arm.
"But then who do you fancy? Surely the potion would tell you just that," the blond asked Eva, directing the conversation away from herself.
"Nobody. You know I don't 'fancy' anyone. Love is just... blah," she shrugged. "My broom is obvious, I've spent a lot of time at the astronomy tower, and the peach muffins are...from aunt Adelaide."
Kaelyn quickly changed the subject. She knows the girl's aunt is a sensitive topic.
"Any plans for tonight?" she asks, and Eva can see her face contort as if mentally facepalming at the question.
"Um... homework?" She shrugged. While appreciative of Kaelyn's cautiousness, it is still nice to think of the girl's Aunt every once in a while. She would rather remember the good times, not about when she left...death being the reason.
Death is always personified, welcomed as a living man, a grim reaper collecting lost souls, or a cloaked individual turning living bodies to cadavers before one could scream for it to stop. He travels in a tattered cloak with a skeleton body that can only reek of death and disrepair, dragging souls to the afterlife.
This man we know as death isn't kind. He snatches the lives of whomever he can lay his bony dilapidated fingers-on, without mercy for those who are far too young and ones far too good for the world.
During these grueling days of the war, death was far more brutal, far more harrowing, and far crueler. Death in these dark days was not kind nor quick. It stalked the valleys, the manors, and towns.
Death truly was a man. Death was no grim reaper, cloaked persona, or skeleton body, but death came in the form of Lord Voldemort.
He plagued others with the horror of death. The man, if you could truly call him that, was an embodiment of insanity. During these times, with the man of death, everyone is a bit insane. Where everyone was given a flame of insanity, he drowned in a tidal wave of it. It stormed upon him with force only known by the gods, filling him with the vexatious feeling. Voldemort was recalcitrant, though as one of the most powerful wizards of the time, the level of authority others held was nothing plagued against him.
Power can be quite dangerous. We are always told so, for it is. The man of death already had power; much more than many others. However, with power, one seeks for more. At first, his pursuits were arcane, for they were only mysterious murders. Though his intentions of clandestine operation were rapidly noticed. What he did, and was still doing, was more than a macabre series of murders. He was nefarious, wicked, villainous, despicable.
Eva had seen death in many shapes and forms. She had seen it occur and had suffered from the consequences of death as well. She lost many people close to her, many people too good for the world. One is her dear Aunt Adelaide, a role model, and holder of fostering care. Voldemort stole her life.
Though, Eva thought death had hurt her just enough. However, death didn't seem to be quite done with her.
