Avalon and Zelda had been ready for nearly half an hour, but they sat in silence.
Avalon let the sounds of Vivaldi's composition flood her mind as she kept her finger pressed to the bracelet Tom had given her. But, it didn't bring her much comfort. Few things did anymore.
Two days.
It had been two days without Orion.
Three without Clara.
Time.
It taunted her.
She could feel the time turner in her coat pocket. There was rarely a moment when she didn't keep the small trinket on her-- partially because she couldn't stop thinking about Tom's offer to go back to her time, and partially because it reminded her of Orion.
She wasn't ready. The memorial was coming up within the hour and she wasn't ready to have to let go. But, nobody ever was. And she knew she never would be. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye to Harry. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye to Fred. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye to Orion. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye to Clara.
Goodbyes were never easy-- she didn't think they ever would be.
But, she also knew that saying goodbye was only so difficult because she had been lucky enough to have people who made her want to hold on forever. And what a blessing they had been.
Time.
She'd do anything for more time.
"We should go," said Zelda quietly, slowly standing up and getting off her bed.
Avalon nodded, following suit as the pair wordlessly got up and left their room. The common room was filled with people all getting ready to attend the memorial, but nobody was really talking. It felt strange to see so many Ravenclaws abandon their typical blue garbs for all-black attire. Avalon could feel eyes on her as she and Zelda walked past their peers. She just put her head down and looked at the ground, not wanting to meet their gazes.
The castle had been filled with an awful quiet for the past several days. The entire school felt their absence. Two beloved students... two beloved friends... two beloved classmates... two beloved spirits... gone.
When they made it to the bottom of the Tower, Tom was already waiting for them. He was dressed in black from head to toe, a solemn look in his eyes as he saw the two downcast roommates approaching. Avalon melted into his outstretched arms, a weak sigh escaping her lips when she felt him press a gentle kiss to the top of her hair.
Neither she, nor Zelda, nor Tom spoke on their way to the memorial.
It was to be held outside. Apparently, Clara's parents had that as their only request.
They walked out of the castle, following the steady stream of students making their way toward the gathering. The weather had been chilled and frigid for three days now, but at that moment, the sun was peeking through the clouds above them, casting a golden hue of radiance along the grey-cast grounds.
The Bells were already there when the trio arrived. They sat right at the front of the growing crowd, closest to the elevated stage. Avalon had never known that Clara had a little brother-- no more than eight years old-- until she saw him sitting there beside his parents, holding his mother's hand with a hopeless look in his bloodshot eyes.
The sight made her heart sink.
She tried not to look at Clara's family as the three of them blended into the rest of the crowd gathering in an endless huddle surrounding the platform. In front of it were two closed caskets: one light oak, one dark mahogany.
White daisies were strewn atop them both.
Avalon's despondent eyes scanned the crowd, trying to catch sight of Orion's family. But, she saw none of the Averys. She didn't see his parents, or his brother, or his friends.
His Quidditch teammates were there. His professors were there. His Slytherin housemates were there. Nearly the entire school was there. But, his family and friends were not.
The crowd continued growing and growing, and a part of Avalon kept hope that the people Orion had loved for so many years would come. Because no matter how poorly she viewed his family and friends, she couldn't fathom how any of them could turn down the chance to say goodbye... no. She couldn't imagine how anyone could ever keep their baseless prejudices even after losing a loved one to their direct consequence.
But, as hopeful as she wanted to remain, a part of her knew that their intolerance went far too deep for even a death to heal.
Word had spread around the castle that Orion's father had decided to bury his body beside Clara's. Not because he thought it was what Orion would have wanted-- though, undoubtedly, it would have been-- but rather because he refused to bury his own son at the cemetery where the rest of the Averys were all laid to rest. Because he had decided that Orion was no longer an Avery from the moment he fell in love with a muggle-born.
The news had angered Avalon beyond belief, though she found solace knowing that at least Orion and Clara would be beside one another for the rest of time. Even if the decision had been made out of spite, it was what Orion would have wanted. She wondered how little his father knew him to believe that it was a punishment.
As Dippet approached the podium on the stage to signal the start of the memorial, she still saw none of Orion's family or close friends in the crowd.
The Headmaster's voice rang out in the air, silencing the soft whispers that had plagued the space. "Students, faculty, and guests... we are gathered here to honor and remember two of the most cherished members of our community." Avalon's focus shifted, though, when she saw Axel, Rosalie, and Kyra quietly making their way up to the front of the crowd, standing close to the darker casket. Beside them strode Mrs. Avery.
Avalon noticed how bloodshot Axel's eyes were... how Rosalie's cheeks were glistening with little trickles of sadness... how Kyra's ever-present smile had been replaced by nothing more than a distant stare... how Orion's mum held a tear-stained tissue in her trembling fingers.
Kyra held onto her crying roommate as they walked by and, for a brief moment, Avalon met both girls' eyes. In their gaze, she saw genuine heartache. In Axel's, though, she saw a mixture of anger, sadness, and confusion.
The other boys and Orion's father and brother were nowhere to be seen.
Dippet addressed the school as he spoke of the 'two terrible tragedies which brought two terrible losses,' but Avalon could barely listen to him speak. Her ears were distracted by the sound of her peers weeping. The sound of crying had seemed to plague the castle for the past several days-- the memorial was no different. There was hardly a face in the sea of people that didn't have the glint of tears sparkling in their downcast eyes. The loss they all felt was deep and hurtful. They were all suffering.
She felt her own eyes once again flooding with tears as she listened to the headmaster speak. His words were drowned out in her mind. It was a challenge to focus on anything when an overwhelming sadness haunted her every thought. Her hand skirted up to wipe a tear from her cheek, but as soon as it fell back to her side, Tom quietly took her hand into his own. The feeling of his thumb rubbing circles into her skin gave her the tiniest sense of peace amidst the chaos around her.
It felt strange... to be at a memorial for a loved one.
Avalon had never been given a proper chance to mourn the people she lost during the war. They died, but the fight was far from over, so they had to keep going with no chance to stop and grieve their losses. She had been running from her pain for as long as she knew, never truly being able to be hit by the severity of her pain.
But, as she stood there, surrounded by people in black, there was something terribly unnerving about being so close to the flower-coated caskets. It didn't feel real. None of it felt real. As though any moment she half-expected to wake up from another one of her horrific nightmares, just to be greeted by a better world. A fairer world.
But, it was real. And so was the pain that came with it.
Midway through the ceremony, Tom went up to the stage and spoke briefly about Orion and Clara. She could see the pain in his eyes when he talked, but he took in a deep breath and kept a composed face. It wasn't a particularly long speech, but it shattered Avalon's heart from start to finish. Zelda hugged her, trying to calm her down, but she couldn't hold herself together any better than any of her peers could.
Tom spoke of how Orion was a brother to him... the truest friend he'd ever had. He admitted how he looked up to the boy, noting how his absence was a loss that the world hadn't been ready to face. Then, he talked about Clara. He spoke of her kindness, her wisdom-- he even confessed that he thought she was the brightest person at the school.
He said that he had never seen a pair of souls so perfectly crafted for one another. And how he knew, one way or another, that they would find each other in whatever semblance of life there was after death. Because they were meant to be together. Two kindred spirits who had been crafted of the same light.
He finished his speech with one line.
"Thank you both for showing us all that love is our greatest strength."
The rest of the ceremony was a blur.
Several other students spoke. Clara's roommate, her friends, Orion's teammates, their professors...
Avalon had so much to say, but couldn't go more than a few words without breaking back down. So, as much as it pained her, she stayed in the crowd. Her fingers grasped tightly around the time-turner in her pocket, trying to hold onto the one thing she had to remember Orion. Slowly, she looked up. Her bloodshot eyes met Dumbledore's. He was standing close to the podium, alongside several other professors, but when their eyes met, he had a knowing glint in his gaze.
Her hold on the turner tightened, and the Transfiguration Professor gave her a gentle smile and a soft nod.
Somehow, it gave her an ounce of clarity.
Avalon didn't know how much longer the memorial lasted-- her thoughts wove in and out of focus. Her mind felt as though it were scattered in a million different directions, all of them leading her toward one earth-shattering realization: Orion and Clara were not coming back.
When the ceremony ended, there was no sense of closure. No relief, no finality, no nothing. Just more numbness and broken hearts. The crowd didn't start to break apart for a good deal of time-- it felt wrong to leave. Nobody wanted to be the first to walk back. Nobody wanted to be the first to have to move on.
Avalon didn't think that death was something anyone could ever move on from. One day, when all was said and done, she knew that she would move forward, but never move on. Grief never quite leaves anyone-- it becomes easier to live with, and it stops controlling the days little by little until it becomes less intolerable... but nobody ever completely moves on. Loss creates scars on the heart that never quite heal. They hurt less as days, months, years pass... but it becomes a part of the people it affects.
Avalon didn't want to move on from Clara or Orion-- she only hoped that one day their memory would bring a smile to her face once more.
At some point, Jane joined their small group. She gave both Tom and Avalon a gentle hug before taking Zelda's hand into her own. Avalon watched them for a bit. It warmed her heart to see Zelda find comfort in somebody else. Merlin knew she deserved it.
Zelda looked at peace with Jane. Avalon didn't doubt for a moment that the two were in love. A sinking feeling in her chest rose worries when she watched them hold one another. Over the years, Avalon had learned, time and time again, that the people she loved most were always stolen away from her. She couldn't allow anything to happen to Zelda. The thought alone scared her.
She loved her dear friend with her entire heart-- but a part of her knew that Zelda had been happy before Avalon, and she would continue to be happy one day if Avalon were to leave her life. Her roommate was surrounded by people who loved her. She had a healthy, pure relationship... friends who adored her... and a strength that would carry her forward through anything life threw at her.
The time-turner in her pocket once again felt heavier than before.
Zelda was strong, and good, and kind, and... loved. She was so incredibly loved.
She would be okay... without a doubt, she would one day be okay again.
The crowd eventually started to disperse, but friends and family remained. Her eyes remained glued on the caskets at the front. There was a horrid tension in her body as she began to drag herself closer and closer to the front of the crowd, her gaze blurry under the strain of the tears flooding down her face.
Orion's mother stood over his casket, her hand trembling as she softly touched its cover. Axel stood beside her, though his eyes were staring blankly at the lighter casket as tears trickled down his cheeks.
When a choked sob left Mrs. Avery's lips, Avalon watched as Clara's mother slowly approached the grieving woman. They stood before one another for a moment, tears in both of their eyes, before Mrs. Bell put her hand atop Mrs. Avery's-- she didn't pull away, only stood there, both women letting silent tears fall onto the ground as they stared at the boxes that would carry their children's bodies for the rest of time.
Avalon felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to face Zelda. Jane stood a few steps behind, offering a soft smile when she met Avalon's gaze. "Love, I think I'm going to head back to our room. Will you two be okay?" asked Zelda, nodding toward Tom.
"We'll be okay," Avalon said. "And you?"
"Eventually, yeah," replied Zelda.
Avalon was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sadness as she pulled her roommate in for a tight hug, breathing out a small sigh as she held her tightly in her embrace. Zelda seemed caught off guard for a moment, but quickly returned the hug. "Thank you," said Avalon quietly, tears brimming her eyes. "For being such a good friend... for being here for me unconditionally... for everything."
"No need to thank me," said Zelda, pulling back slightly to look into Avalon's bloodshot eyes. "What are friends for?"
She let out a dejected laugh before she said, "I love you so much."
"I love you more," smiled Zelda. She reached out and gently wiped away Avalon's tears before saying, "I'll see you tonight for dinner, okay?"
But, Avalon couldn't bring herself to nod. She just offered a bittersweet smile and waved as she watched the couple walk off, hand in hand.
Zelda would be okay.
Yeah, Zelda would be okay.
Tom watched Avalon. He couldn't help but think about how her interaction with her roommate had sounded an awful lot like a goodbye.
Avalon waited for the crowd to clear out before she walked over to the caskets. It didn't feel real when she put her hand atop Orion's and felt the daisies beneath her touch. It didn't feel real when she stood before Clara's and whispered how much she would miss her.
Tom stood beside her, taking her left hand into his and giving it a tight squeeze as the two of them took in the sight in front of them for what would be the last time. Avalon took in a deep breath before she pulled her wand out of her coat pocket, pointed it at the wooden chests, and conjured a dozen yellow butterflies that fluttered atop the daisies strewn across the caskets.
Without another word, both she and Tom turned around and started to walk away. The moment she turned her back, she became increasingly aware of the fact that she would never see Clara or Orion ever again. That was it. There was no chance of a proper goodbye. There was no room for another memory. There was no hope of hearing their laughs one last time.
They were gone. And she couldn't change that.
It hurt. It hurt like hell and she couldn't hold it in. The anguish came and went in debilitating waves-- crippling her to the point of incapacitation. Tears spilled out from her eyes once more and she had to slap her hand over her own mouth to try and silence the sobs that were flooding out.
Tom pulled her into his arms, resting his chin atop her trembling head and whispering sweet nothings to her as their peers walked by. He shielded her shaking figure from their curious eyes, making sure she knew she was safe, she was protected, and she was loved.
"I want to show you something," he said, lifting her chin up to look into his eyes. With a dejected nod, she let him take her hand into his and lead her away from the castle. They walked in a comfortable quiet as they made their way toward the Great Lake, the sun's rays reflecting a sea of a million glimmering drops atop the surface.
She didn't know they had arrived until Tom stopped walking. When she saw what was before them, her eyes widened. "Is that..."
Tom nodded, watching as she walked up to the small sycamore sapling on the ground and knelt before it. "I grabbed it from his room last night... I thought he'd want it to be planted somewhere."
She didn't quite have the right words. It felt nice to be able to stare at something that was so inherently Orion and Clara. The sapling was small, but sprouting leaves already adorned it. Somehow, seeing the tiny seedling brought a ghost of a smile to her face.
Orion should have planted it himself. He and Clara should have been able to come down and plant the charmed seeds themselves. But, they couldn't, and she supposed this was the next best thing.
"We'll get through this," said Tom, breaking her out of her thoughts. She stood from the ground and turned back to face his somber eyes. He put his hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "They would want you to be okay." She nodded, forcing a smile when she leaned into his touch. "You need rest," he noted, looking into her bloodshot eyes.
She knew he was right-- her mind was spinning from pure exhaustion. The merciless hours of weeping had torn away at her strength and she was growing more and more drained by the second. So, with one last glance at the sycamore sapling, she swallowed down her sadness and held onto Tom's arm as they walked back to the castle and toward his dorm.
The walk seemed longer than usual. Every step felt laborious and every second felt eternal. Time hadn't felt real for quite some time-- she felt like an outsider to the world. It was hard not to think about the terrible hole in her heart where memories of her star-crossed friends resided, but she tried not to focus on her grief too much.
She did her best to stay strong, but when they entered the Slytherin common room, her emotions ran rampant when she saw the people standing before her.
Mr. Avery and Alistair were leaving Orion's room. Behind them trailed four house elves, carrying bags filled with what appeared to be Orion's possessions.
"Keep the valuables, toss the rest," said his father sternly, speaking to the elves.
"What are you doing?!" asked Avalon, storming up to them. Her sadness was suddenly overtaken with a horrific rage. Tom trailed a little behind her, allowing her to speak without interruption.
Neither Mr. Avery nor Alistair were even dressed in black-- both of them were fitted in either gray or navy suits, their eyes not showing even a semblance of sadness as they met her weary gaze. "We were told we had to clear the room," replied his father coldly. "Now if you'll excuse us, Miss Hendrix-"
"Those are his things, you can't just throw them away. They are not trash," she snarled, her eyes brimming with angry tears. "He was your son! Your brother!" she shouted, glaring at them both.
"No son of mine would ever be a blood-traitor," replied the man cooly, pushing past her as he walked toward the door.
"You're both cowards," she said, her fingers trembling as she watched them walk past her. She hadn't noticed how Tom's jaw had clenched, his fists molded into tight balls.
"Lighten up, Hendrix," said Alistair as he shoved his way past them. "At least he's finally with his mudblood girlfrie-"
He wasn't even able to finish the word. Tom grabbed him by the collar of his shirt as he strode by, pulling him forward just in time to throw a punch squarely in his face. There was a sickening crunch as Tom's fist shattered Orion's older brother's nose, a stream of crimson painting Tom's knuckles as he threw Alistair to the ground.
Avalon could only watch as Tom wound his arm back and landed another forceful punch onto Alistair's jaw, followed by another, and another. The ground beneath him was quickly splattered with a ruby red and no matter how hard Alistair attempted to shove Tom off him, it was as though the Prefect had reverted back to the person he had been before meeting Avalon-- only this time, his anger was directed toward the right people.
She saw Mr. Avery reach for his wand and point it at Tom. A flash of red flew out of his wand but she quickly threw up a defensive shield in front of her enraged boyfriend a moment before the spell would have struck him. With his attention temporarily stolen, she quickly shot a disarming spell at Mr. Avery. His wand flew into her own grasp and she glared down the angry man before snapping his wand in her hands and discarding the broken pieces onto the ground.
Tom stood up, his eyes still burning with a fervent rage as he looked down at his crimson-coated hands. Other students were slowly peeking out of their rooms, shocked whispers flooding the hall as they saw their beloved Tom Riddle covered in Alistair Avery's blood.
Avalon quickly grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him away moments before Orion's father knelt down beside his son to assess the damage. "Let's go," she said under her breath to him, the two of them running out of the suffocating room before anyone could follow.
They were unaware of the pair of emerald eyes watching them curiously from the hallway. Xavier bit down on his lip, trying to hide his excitement as he made it back into his dorm. He leaned against the doorframe, nodding at his roommate. "Now is our chance. Go fetch him."
"You think now is the time?" asked Adonis, raising an eyebrow.
"Best shot we'll have," shrugged Xavier, a sinister look in his emerald eyes. "Time to finally get rid of them."
But, Avalon and Tom were running through the castle, both desperate to get as far away from the Slytherin dorms as possible. Tom couldn't think straight. His mind was still in shambles from what had just happened. He couldn't quell his anger. The thought of Orion's father-- his own bloody father-- not grieving the death of his son... it made him sick. He couldn't understand how anybody could give up on their own son that way.
He thought of his own father, a familiar feeling of bitter betrayal rising in his chest.
A part of him wished he had killed Mr. Avery-- Merlin knew he deserved it. He and Alistair both. But, another part of him knew that despite everything, Orion wouldn't want that. Because Orion was good and kind and forgiving.
Tom, however, didn't care that he was none of those things. All of him regretted letting them walk free.
He didn't pay much attention to where they were going until Avalon stopped walking. They had come all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, a quiet peace surrounding them as the leaves of the trees overhead blew to the song of the wind. Avalon gently took his hands into her own before pointing her wand at his bloodied fists and washing away the memories of red.
All he could do was watch as she washed away the blood on his hands until they were clean once more.
Neither one of them spoke-- there weren't words charged enough to express their emotions at that moment. The pain, the grief, the loss, the anger, the desperation, the fear, the sadness... it was all subdued to nothing more than a shared look between them that was imbued with all the things their hearts felt but their mouths failed to say.
It was at that moment when she heard the flapping of large wings overhead. When she looked up, she saw two thestrals flying overhead. But, what she hadn't expected to see, was Tom staring directly at the winged creatures as they glided through the sky above. His eyes followed the creatures as they flew, but she could only focus on the curious look on his face as he saw the elusive beings for the first time in his life.
"Those are thestrals?" he asked quietly.
She just nodded.
It was strange-- how much peace and resolution she found in that moment. In the midst of all her pain, she saw purpose. She saw hope. And she saw finality.
Because that, for her, was the last thing she needed to see to know he had changed.
The Dark had not won.
She laced her fingers with his and felt a hint of a smile paint its way onto her lips when he looked at her. The way his coffee eyes softened the moment they met hers would never fail to make her heart skip a beat. He narrowed his gaze on her, noting the resolve in her eyes.
"I think it's time," she said, her voice quiet.
It took him a moment to register what she meant, but he nodded, pulling her forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Whenever you're ready, dove."
She pulled the time-turner out from her pocket, staring at it for a moment before putting her hand on his cheek and looking up at him. "Are you certain you want to come with me?"
"Without you, there is nothing for me here," he said, turning his head to kiss her palm. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life."
She gently stroked his cheek with her thumb for a moment, cherishing what she knew was soon to be their last moments in this era. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing all the people she was leaving behind. Though, deep down, she knew that this was the best for everyone. Her heart deserved a break, she told herself. And perhaps this was the first step to gaining back her life.
His eyes remained glued to hers and she tried so hard to detect any sign of uncertainty in his look, but they were devoid of any doubt. She got on her tip-toes, pressing a kiss to his lips as her arms snaked around his neck.
She could feel him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her as close to himself as he could, breathing out a sigh of contentment into her lips. And both of them felt certain that even if the world collapsed and left them with nothing more than one another, somehow they'd find a way to be alright.
When they finally pulled apart, she took in a deep breath before pulling the golden turner around both of their necks and closing her eyes. There was an undeniable sense of worry in her stomach as she thought of the very real possibility that they would return to the future and nothing would be as she had left it. The chance of her loved ones not knowing her-- or not existing at all-- scared her more than she cared to admit. But, she knew that one way or another, she had to know for herself that everything she had done in this time had made a difference.
So, without wasting another moment, she twisted the turner as far as it could possibly go. There was no date, only a year.
1998.
As they looked into one another's eyes one last time, they began to feel the world around them spin until they were left with nothingness.
And, had they stayed a moment longer, they would have seen the green flash that struck the tree behind them an instant after they disappeared. Xavier and Adonis raced to the spot where the couple had just been, a horrified look on both their faces. "Fuck!" screamed Xavier, his emerald eyes frantic as he tried to even out his own breathing.
A third boy walked behind them calmly, unbothered by the scene he had just witnessed. He smiled to himself, a devilish glint in his grin as he looked at his two most loyal followers. "Patience," he said, his charming smile incapable of hiding the way his coffee eyes flashed crimson a moment later. "One day, our paths will cross with theirs again."
Author's Note
I was not lying when I said y'all were in for a wild ride, huh?
We're nearing the end of this story (only a few chapters left) and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of both my heart and Kat's. We're so appreciative of everyone who has read this story, shared it, commented on it, and been with us for this journey! Thank you, as usual, for everything you all do. We love you all sm!
Also, Kat has uploaded the Tom x Orion as well as the Avalon x Orion playlists onto our spotify! The link is still in my bio on Wattpad, so go check them out!
ALSOOO, we hit 1000 followers on TikTok!!! My username is DaffyDarlingX and we plan on doing a TikTok live sometime soon to be able to talk to y'all and answer any questions you may have about anything! So, if you haven't already, go follow that account so you can know when that's going down. Get ready-- we are hype.
Wow... brace yourselves for the ending. It is........ cathartic. Sending love as always. Until next time, xoxo Daffy