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[CHAPTER FORTY]
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FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE, Odette wasn't thinking about Regulus (but he still lingered in the very back of her mind, ready to pop out when her mind was empty), instead she found herself staring at Olivia Mae. She stared as if she was going to receive answers by just looking. Nothing came to her. She was also certain that Olivia Mae knew that she was staring because Olivia Mae had already made eye contact with her twice.
Mei nudged her with her elbow. Odette jumped and turned to look at Mei. Her eyes widened.
"Ow," she said. She grabbed her side, where Mei had hit her.
"Sorry," said Mei, "Toast?"
Odette pushed her head back as Mei smeared a slice of toast with jam spread over it near her face.
"No, I don't want toast," said Odette as she looked down at her plate. She grabbed for her fork and pushed it through the bacon. She raised it up and spun it around her fingers. She didn't even like bacon, why was it on her plate?
"Is something on your mind? You've been awfully quiet this morning," said Mei, "Not that you talk a lot usually, but you're not this quiet."
Odette sighed as she put her fork down. It let out a 'clack' as it touched her plate. "When can we leave?"
Mei glanced at Odette's plate, "If you're not hungry, we can leave right now —"
"No," said Odette, "That's not what I meant, sorry. Let me rephrase that. When is this school year over?"
Odette rose her head to meet Mei's eyes. Mei seemed a bit confused, but she responded anyway.
"I'd say maybe three - four months," said Mei, "I'm not sure. Livi will know, ask her later if you want a direct answer."
It was silent for two seconds before Mei laughed. Odette stared. Mei noticed and calmed down. "Sorry, it's just — I don't want to leave. I never do, actually, but I want to leave even less this year. Once this year is over, we're never coming back here as students. We'll have to be adults and act like adults. Not to mention. . .there is a war happening outside of these walls as we speak."
Odette didn't respond. Mei took a bite of her toast. "Mmmh, you should try this jam. It's so good."
Odette looked at the bright colored jam, "Maybe later."
Mei went to take another bite of her toast happily when she stopped herself and put down the toast, "Why do you want to leave? Do you not like it here?"
Odette stared down at her plate, "It's not that. . ."
"What is it then?"
"My time here has been lovely. . .as lovely as living during a war and having to memorize a dozen books can be. . .but I just don't feel like I belong here. I'm surrounded by people, yet I feel so lonely."
Mei seemed to take in Odette's words before she responded, "What makes you think you won't feel lonely once we leave?"
"I don't know when or if I'll stop feeling lonely," said Odette, "but this isn't doing me any favours. I'm better off seeking something to make me feel better than going through this same routine everyday and thinking about when I'll feel better."
"Do you think. . .perhaps, you're homesick for a home you don't remember?"
"I don't know, Mei, I don't know," said Odette as she covered her face with her hands, "I can distract myself all I want, but I can't help but feel like an intruder."
Mei wrapped her arms around Odette, "I know there's probably nothing I can say to help you, especially since I'm not from a foreign country and my memories haven't mysteriously disappeared, but I'll be here."
Odette sniffled a giggle, "Thank you, Mei."
"Anytime."
"I think I'll try some of that jam before we leave," smiled Odette.
"Oh, you should! The jam here is fit for a king." They made eye contact and laughed.
She wasn't alone. She wasn't alone. She wasn't alone. She wasn't.
"This room never ceases to fascinate me," said Odette as she spun in a circle in the center of the room. She threw her head back to look at the ceiling. Regulus was leaning against the doorway. He was twirling something in between his fingers. He looked up.
"What'd you call me here for, Odette?"
"Sorry if you were busy, but you're always busy, so I don't really care that much anymore."
"First of all, that doesn't answer my question. Answer my question. Second of all, I'm sorry that I actually have things to get done and don't have time to fascinate over every little thing."
"Little? You call this little? Look around you. This isn't little!"
Regulus scanned the room before he looked back at Odette, "I looked. It's little."
"Sometimes it feels like we're from two different worlds," said Odette as she shook her head. Regulus didn't respond. He looked back at what he had in his hand. Odette rose an eyebrow as she got closer to him. She peeked at his hand and nearly drew back when she noticed what he had in his hands.
Regulus didn't even try to hide it as he looked up to look at her.
"It's funny," he let out a humorless laugh, "I told myself I would never be like him, but I wouldn't consider myself much better anymore."
"You don't need that," said Odette as she took the cigarette from his hand. She decided she'd slip it in her pocket and get rid of it later. "Come."
She grabbed his hand and led him further into the room. She walked over to the gramophone in the corner of the room.
"What are you doing?" said Regulus as he looked over Odette's shoulder to see her turning it on. Odette didn't respond.
The music was gentle to their ears as it flowed throughout Room of Requirement. Odette pulled Regulus to the center of the room. She stopped walking and turned to face him. Regulus knew what she was trying to do and rose an eyebrow.
"Odette. . ." he said as she grabbed both of his hand.
"Yeah?"
"I don't dance."
"Neither do I," said Odette as she moved his hands, "but we both need a distraction, don't you agree?"
"What can dancing possibly do to help?"
"Nothing," said Odette, "but it's not dancing that matters. It's who you're dancing with and right now, it's just us."
Regulus didn't know what was stirring inside of Odette and Odette didn't know the rage of the battle inside Regulus's head, yet they could provide each other comfort without knowing. It was a strange thing, yet nice. Nice to know that they could help someone else when they can't help themselves. Nice to make someone smile and laugh when they can't make themselves smile or laugh.
They weren't broken. They were just puzzle pieces. Once they were whole, but as life dragged them along the current, pieces came apart. Yet, it wasn't impossible to put them back together, even if only for a few minutes.
They didn't need someone to suffer alongside them. They just needed someone who would stay even as they suffered silently. Someone who would hold back the current as they swam back to shore.
Two people drowning in different bodies of water teaching each other how to swim for a short period of time.
"Thank you," said Odette as she turned to her side, still breathing heavily.
"For what?"
"For joining in," said Odette.
Regulus turned his head to to side to face her, "I should thank you, not for tripping me though. You better pray I don't get a concussion."
"Oh please, you won't do anything to me," said Odette with a giggle as she stood up. She turned off the gramophone and turned around. Regulus had stood up and was coming his hair with his hands.
"You're hair looks fine," laughed Odette as she slipped her robe back on.
Regulus shook his head as he opened the door. The two left the room requirement in a much better mood than when they had entered. However, the mood dwindled the moment they left the room to see a girl leaning against the wall in front of the room of requirement. Odette recognized her as the prefect that she saw that day in the Astronomy tower.
Regulus scowled as he closed the door.
"That's a nice room you found," she said, "It's not nice to keep secrets, Regulus."
"What do you want, Zabini?"
The girl — Zabini smiled, "Don't be rude, Regulus. Why don't you introduce me to your friend first?"
Odette tilted her head. Zabini didn't care much about her the first time they saw each other, Regulus rolled his eyes, "Zabini, this is Odette. Odette, this is is Eina Zabini. There."
"Nice to meet you, Odette," said Eina, "I don't know what possessed you to want to willingly spend time with Regulus, but I suppose he needs it. Anyway, I need to speak to you, Regulus."
"Now?"
"Yes, now," said Eina, "Sorry, I hope you don't mind, Odette."
"Oh, not at all," said Odette, "I'll see you later, Reg!"
"Ooh, nickname basis, nice," said Eina as Odette walked away.
Regulus crossed his arms, "What do you want?"
"I have something to show you," said Eina.
"Then show me."
"Don't speak to me like that, Regulus!" scolded Eina, "Are you sure you want to see it here? In the middle of a corridor? Somewhere more private would be better — like in that secret roo—"
"Eina."
"Fine. Fine."
"I was snooping through Conner's things because I was bored and I found this. I think you ought to see it."
"You stole it? Eina —"
"It's just a bunch of papers, it's not like I stole his fortune."
"It's a bunch of papers that could lead to his death," grumbled Regulus as he took the file of papers.
"Since when do you care so much about Conner?" said Eina, "Don't bother returning the papers. He deserves the stress these missing papers will give him."
Regulus glared at her for a second before he opened the file. The first paper was a blank page with one word in the center: Benoit.
"What is so important about this? I've already heard about the Benoit family, my mother practically cried tears of joy at the news of their disappearance."
"Conner got a mission regarding the family, but he wouldn't tell me what the mission, so I decided to look through the file and I found this."
Eina flipped some pages over, until they got to a blank page with one name: Aurélie Benoit.
Regulus rose an eyebrow as he flipped the page. He nearly dropped the papers. There was a photo of a girl. A girl identical to the girl who had just left his side a moment ago.
"Excuse me," said Regulus as he turned and started to stalk down the corridor. He knew Odette was lying about her name, but he didn't think it was serious enough for him to worry about it. However, if she really was a Benoit, then things were a whole different story.