[ 1 ] EXPLODE ( r. black ! )

twenty-eight || too little too late

ACT ONE; CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

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FOR AS LONG as Eleanor could remember, she'd described her life as 'an always changing shitstorm'. Slowly, though, she was getting better at handling it. Explosions of change like being Sorted into Slytherin, disowned by her family and forced to be face-to-face with the man she classed as her mortal enemy – well, hers and everyone else she was friends with's mortal enemy – used to quite shake up Eleanor Archord. But she was getting better at anticipating the change, so it no longer shocked her when it came.

                Sometimes, as time stretched over the two months she'd been back at Hogwarts, she'd even gone as far as to provoke the change. Her favourite had to be when, as loud as their voices would allow so the conversation would carry itself over the entire Great Hall at the welcome back feast, was her and Regulus announcing they were dating to the entire school ("Snog later, Archord?" "You read my mind, Black."). As anticipated, pure pandemonium ensued in the wake of the announcement – even the shock of it took a while to register for their Professors.

                Still, when she wasn't forcing the change out of hibernation, so she wasn't swept off her feet by it eventually, Eleanor was still learning to be more like a Gryffindor and trust her gut. Mostly because the first thing her gut told her, when it finally spoke after a long while of being mute, was that she'd need it a lot more than she ever anticipated. That was why when she first felt odd that particular day, Eleanor didn't ignore it.

                Instead, focus shifting from the book she was taking notes out of, her body spun to face the boy studying next to her. Now in February, Regulus was a common thought, aspect and joy in Eleanor's life that she often wondered how she'd gone without for so long. Even though she could recite every aspect of his quirks, she allowed herself a moment to watch the boy in his unique studying position, a smile on her face that she no longer bothered to repress.

                After that moment, her legs that she'd had crossed on the table, dividing their separate studying areas, moved swiftly to kick his book. Quidditch practice had been brief since they'd arrived back and Regulus' reflexes weren't quick enough to stop the action. Instead, with a mock annoyed sigh, the boy looked up at the girl and mimicked her smirk.

                With a raised eyebrow, he asked, "Do you need some attention, Archord?"

                Despite the bad feeling, her smile refused to wipe off her face. Hoping to maintain some seriousness in the blooming conversation, Eleanor moved to sit crossed legged on her head quickly and leaned closer to her boyfriend. At the action, he perked up – quite clearly hoping for a sweet kiss as the reason for distraction so close to exam season, rather than the bad news that would actually escape her lips.