---------------------> ONE OF THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE was that sometimes, pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer could end in a downpour, in lightning and thunder. No matter how perfect and happy everything seemed, it would all come to an end, sooner or later. After all, the sun sets even in paradise.
And the worst part was, no one tells you it's all about to change, to be taken away. There's no proximity alert, no indication that you're standing on the precipice. And maybe that's what makes tragedy so tragic. Not just what happens, but how it happens: a sucker punch that comes at you out of nowhere, when you're least expecting it. No time to flinch or brace.
Artemis and Tom had served detention with Professor Slughorn, who hadn't minded the reason they -the perfect students- had earned detention in the first place. The three had spent the evening drinking tea and discussing the latest developments in the field of potions.
Thankfully, Minerva McGonagall wasn't one to gossip, spread rumours or speak ill about someone unless they completely deserved it, so everybody else was none the wiser about the little incident that had occurred, including Gen and Roman. Thank Merlin for that because Artemis didn't think they would ever let her live it down.
The days passed by them like a warm, summer breeze and before they knew it, they had written their O.W.L examinations and were spending the last few weeks prior to the much-awaited Leaving Feast with their friends, with Artemis, of course, still having no clue as to what her future career should be.
"An artist?" Reginald suggested, prompting Artemis to groan and shake her head.
"No. I do art for fun. I don't want to make a living out of it. I fear I may grow to hate it then."
"Healer?"
"Too much work."
"Research?"
"Too little work."
"Auror?"
"Never," Artemis said immediately. "I want to be something unique. Fleamont is definitely going to be a potion master. Mum was a healer before she went into an early voluntary retirement. Dad was an Auror before he became a politician and Charlus is also planning to quit his current career soon to take Dad's place at the Wizengamot."
"Then why don't you be a politician as well?" Roman joined the conversation, frowning his eyebrows. "I mean, you'd be brilliant at it."
Artemis sighed sadly. "That's the problem, I'm brilliant at everything."
"Not at being a cat-sitter, I'd assume." Gen chimed in and Artemis shot her a look, scoffing.
"On the contrary, I'd be an amazing cat-sitter."
"You'd sneeze too much and probably infect the cat with your human saliva."
"I'd still take care of the cat well." Artemis defended.
"I don't think infecting it would be termed as 'taking care of the cat well'," Gen said dryly.
"I'll wear a mask or something so I don't sneeze on it."
Gen contemplated that thought in her mind before nodding her head. "Okay, that could work."
"Now coming back to the point," Reginald began, capturing their attention. "Seriously, why don't you become a politician?"
"I want my career to be unique, something better than my brother's. The politician slot has already been filed by Charlus." Artemis explained.
"Then be a politician but better," Reginald said. "Choose a career that is like a politician but not exactly."
"Like a delegate for the International Confederation of Wizards?" Artemis asked, humming thoughtfully. "Actually, that does sound quite interesting."
"You'd need to be smart, knowledgeable and good at countering remarks, which you already are," Roman said before adding. "I think it'll be an interesting career. It suits you."
"I think so too," Gen admitted. "I can easily picture you in my head as a delegate or representative of Britain. Let the world be in awe of our sarcastic come-backs! It'll be great! Plus, you'll get loads of benefits, tons of money and who knows, you might even meet a Bulgarian Quidditch player." She winked playfully.
Artemis laughed, eyes sparkling. "I like it already. I'll think about it a little more and then inform Professor Flitwick," she said, bringing Gen, Roman and Reginald nod, happy that they could help.
------> 0o0 <------
Although their exams were over, Artemis and Tom weren't exempted from their prefect patrols which -almost traditionally now- began with an awkwardly suffocating silence as always before Artemis broke it with a sigh, making Tom look at her questioningly as they walked along the dimly lit hallways.
"I wish sometime in the future, if we are still together, we can go to an art museum for a date and make out."
Tom lifted an eyebrow at her remark, wondering how she wasn't sorted into the House of the Brave for her bold comments but chose not to voice it out because something told him she wouldn't appreciate the comparison.
Instead, he tilted his head and said, "But I thought nobody was supposed to touch masterpieces."
Artemis' face went blank for a second, her cheeks tinged pink before she smiled. "But someone has got to pin up the artwork on the walls," she said, prompting Tom to laugh.
"I'm sure we'd be banned from the museum if we were to ever do such a stunt."
"Oh, I'm sure we will be banned from the museum when we do such a stunt." Artemis grinned, eyes twinkling. "I want that experience."
"But I'd rather not have that black spot on my permanent record, thank you very much."
Artemis pouted. "Geez, Riddle-Who-Can't-Answer-A-Riddle," She rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a saint."
"I'm not."
"In my eyes, you are." She winked playfully at him before asking. "What are your plans for the summer?"
Tom's eyebrows knitted together at her random question. "I think I'd go for interviews."
"For the DADA professor position?"
"And for some secretary to politicians ones," Tom added, causing surprise to paint Artemis' features. Whenever they had talked, Tom had always been firm in the opinion of him becoming a teacher at Hogwarts. Artemis didn't comment on his change in decision.
"Oh, okay," she blinked. "That sounds nice. I've been debating going into the political field myself."
"Have you now?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"
"This morning," Artemis replied with a close-lipped smile.
"I thought you weren't interested in being a politician."
"I assumed the same for you," Artemis said. "And I'm not aiming to be a politician exactly, more like a foreign delegate."
His lips curled into a smile. "It'll suit you," he said, making her beam. "Not to mention, if you are a foreign delegate, you have to travel to many different countries. You can finally meet a Bulgarian Quidditch player." He paused, looking at his or. "Is that why you are choosing to be a foreign delegate?"
"...No..."
Tom's face showed exactly how much he believed her. "Uh-huh. Should I be jealous?"
"No, don't worry. I just find Bulgarian Quidditch players extremely attractive and although I joke about one of them being my future spouse, I assure you it isn't serious."
"Lovely," Tom said dryly. "And how do you find me?" At her confused expression, he elaborated. "Do you find me attractive?"
"You're not entirely unfortunate looking," She said, observing his perfect face. "You have... eyes." Artemis playfully repeated the same words he had told her when she had asked him for a compliment.
Tom snorted. "'Not entirely unfortunate looking'? Perhaps I should do the date-thing with Walburga instead. She'd have better compliments."
"You could, but only if you have a death wish."
"What, you'll kill me?"
"No, but considering while you do the date-thing, you'll have to spend plenty of time with Walburga, I'm sure you'll kill yourself." Artemis smiled. "So, by all means, feel free to date her."
Tom rolled his eyes at her comment, even as his lips twitched with amusement. "You're lucky you have eyes."
"Yes, it's not like every other human being has them as well."
"I meant," Tom said. "You're lucky your eyes are the only ones I want to look into for the rest of my life."
Artemis froze in her steps, mouth hanging open as Tom continued to walk. She didn't know what to say to something like that. So using whatever dignity she had left, she composed herself, walking a little faster to match his pace and changing the topic.
"Anyway, where are you staying while you do the interviews?"
"Most likely at the Leaky Cauldron, why?"
"My mum wants to meet you," Artemis confessed and this time, it was Tom who stilled in his steps before casually resuming to walk.
"Oh."
"Yeah, my dad wants to as well." Artemis didn't offer to arrange an interview to be her father's secretary for Tom.
Firstly, because she knew that he wanted to make a name for himself and such an invitation would at best make things awkward between them and at worse, offend him. Secondly, her muse working for her father was plain weird. So, she continued to speak.
"My mum suggested that you stay with us." Mistaking the nature of his silence at her announcement, Artemis hurriedly added. "Until you get a job and a place of your own, of course. Only because they really, really want to meet you -although my father doesn't have the same pure intentions as my mother. I hope you are talented in shield charms and have written a will- and honestly, we have too much room in the Manor, it gets kind of lonely sometimes. Not that I'm bragging about how incredibly rich my family is, even if it sounds like I am. Really. I don't usually brag about family fortunes, that's reserved for that banshee and her plague of a family and-"
Dear Merlin, she was turning into Roman!
Artemis stopped herself, clearing her throat and inhaling a deep breath, smiling weakly. "The point is, will you pretty please stay with us?"
Tom was silent, face completely blank for the longest time before he nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. "I would like that."
Artemis visibly looked relieved at his answer, shoulders relaxing from the tense position it had been earlier before a bright smile blessed her face. "Great! I'll tell mum today itself after patrols. She'll be delighted."
A faint but genuine smile appeared on his face as he slowly nodded once again, not trusting himself to speak without a layer of the thick emotion he was feeling.
However, the moment wasn't destined to last forever as they hoped it would because as they rounded a corner, Artemis went rigid at the sight in front of her and she could hear Tom take in a sharp breath.
Laying on the cold floors of the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a girl, her face a corpse-white shade of pale and her eyes wide open.
A gasp escaped Artemis' mouth as her eyes enlarged. She could faintly hear Tom inhale a sharp breath as he immediately went to the fallen girl's side, taking out his wand and attempting to revive her.
"Is she dead?" Artemis breathed out in a low, horrified whisper.
She wanted to move. She wanted to go over to the girl's side and help in any way she could, but her legs seem to have been stuck to the ground, making her curse that she was so utterly useless at such situations and grateful that her muse was not.
Tom checked her pulse, letting out a relieved breath as he shook his head. "No, she's breathing but her skin is cold."
Artemis mutely nodded, still frozen with shock. However, her legs had begun to cooperate with her a little, so she slowly moved towards the girl before nearly doubling back when she recognised her.
Katherine Freelander.
The girlfriend of Mason Hemingway for nearly eight months, the second-last person Gen had dated before Reginald. Katherine's eyes were wide open and her hands were positioned in front of her chest as if she were holding something.
Artemis forcefully tore her eyes from Katherine's horrified face before she crouched down beside her, lightly placing two fingers on the side of her neck and realising that Tom was correct.
The girl was alive, thank Merlin, but her skin was snow cold.
"Is she paralysed?" Artemis wondered aloud.
Tom's eyebrows furrowed as he studied the girl. "I think she's petrified actually."
"So she'll be fine, right? Petrification can be reversed, can't it?" Artemis questioned in a pleading tone to which Tom nodded.
"Yes, but we need to get her to the hospital wing immediately."
"Of course," Artemis stood up, taking note of her surroundings in a futile attempt of discovering what had reduced the girl to this state.
A compact mirror and a muggle lipstick had fallen a few feet away but Artemis couldn't see anything else noteworthy to get clues on who or what caused this to happen to Katherine.
Until she looked at the wall, that is.
Written in a messy handwriting in large, block letters and what Artemis desperately hoped was red ink were the words, The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, be aware.
A hand was placed on her shoulder, startling her and making her turn, only to see the concerned face of her muse.
"Tom! Do you see the writing-"
"-I do," Tom's lips were pressed together in a thin line. "I'll get the girl to the hospital wing. In the meantime, you inform the teachers about this immediately, okay?" He told her softly.
"Okay," Artemis agreed instantly, thankful that one of them was not completely incompetent at the moment before she began running down the corridors to the nearest Professor's office.
And it was because Artemis had left so quickly and not turned back or questioned her patrol partner's orders, she wasn't able to see the small frown that adorned his face as he observed the petrified girl or how a large smile stretched his lips when he admired his handiwork on the walls of the corridor.