Run Away
Chapter 13: Run Away
16th July 1938, London
"So you're leaving?" A silvery voice questioned as the fog in her vision began to clear.
Like ink spots on paper, the scene in front of her appeared slowly, seeping into her field of vision.
"I thought you really enjoyed working here? I remember you even asked all the Professors for a recommendation letter—not that you needed one—to work here and now you're leaving?" A woman with mousy strawberry blonde hair and bright forest green eyes appeared in front of her.
A dimly lit stone corridor with only two people. Light chatter in the background behind the many closed doors but no one dared to venture closer to the two women leaned against the cold stone walls.
A sigh left her lips and she removed a cheap metal pin from her hair before pocketing it into her skirt. "I'm not leaving because I hate it here or I don't enjoy working here, I just…" The cheap metal pin felt heavy in her pocket but not as heavy as the ring around her finger. A family heirloom of his, he had said. "He proposed to me and I don't know what to do, Poppy."
Forest green orbs grew bigger in shock and Poppy didn't know whether to congratulate her friend or frown and say something rude so she only gave her a polite smile. "Oh. That's…wonderful." Poppy bit her painted red lips and looked around before pulling her friend's sleeve and bringing her closer. "But you told us that you…and he had an argument about…his…" She hesitated a little. "About his…activities in Albania." Poppy lowered tone to a whisper and pulled her friend closer. "I mean he is working at Borgin and Burkes. Mia told me that the shop is notorious for selling dark artefacts."
She couldn't exactly refute those claims. Poppy was right and everyone knew it as well. "I know. I should've known from the beginning but I wanted…I wanted to believe that—"
"I understand." Poppy placed a comforting hand on her shoulders and patted her. "But I don't understand why you took him back and why you're leaving. Just because you're getting married doesn't mean you have to leave us and this job—you wanted this!"
"I'm not getting married."
Poppy pulled her friend into another corner and looked up at her with wide eyes. "Then what are—"
"I think I'm going to leave for America or Australia." The ring on her finger felt heavy, weighing her down like a shackle. She took it off and placed it in Poppy's hands. "I can't marry him. I can't spend my life in fear and watch him turn into someone like the man who killed my family."
Poppy's face crumbled and she started shaking her head as a wave of sadness and fear washed over her. "I can't. I can't do this. You know his friends don't like people like me."
"I know, I'm being selfish but I need you to send it back to him in the mail. I just can't be the one to do this."
She turned around and tried to leave but Poppy grabbed her arm. Poppy's hands were cold, deathly cold and she couldn't help but shiver at her touch. "So you're running away?"
"I'm not running away."
"But you are."
Poppy's face faded away as the ink spots disappeared from Cordelia's vision and a bright blue butterfly wiped away the scene before her eyes.
Painted black and blue wings opened and closed, the blue from the wings hit rays in such a manner that Cordelia couldn't help but think how it reminded her of sapphires or stained glass windows in the church that Mrs Cole went to.
Cordelia almost envied the pretty butterfly. It was pretty, free and looked happy being alone.
Lucy squinted her eyes at Cordelia and opened her mouth to question her on her lack of interest but immediately she shelved those thoughts. Neither wanted an argument to break out and even if it did, Cordelia would just get up and leave. She hated arguments unless they were worth her time. "Ed released Mary's 'collection' into my room." She decided to finish her story, almost hoping Cordelia would react the way she wanted to.
A weak smile was all Lucy got before a small web with a spider in the corner of the window-frame caught Cordelia's eye. The butterfly still fluttered around so happily while the spider in the corner quietly spun its web. She had no doubt that the spider was watching the butterfly and waiting for it to tire before pouncing on it.
The corners of Cordelia's lips went up and she turned to Lucy, finally giving her the attention she wanted. "So you have bugs in your room then?" She asked cautiously, feigning concern.
Lucy nodded as she puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. "It's crawling everywhere. I found a worm in my nightstand."
Cordelia leaned forward and motioned Lucy to come closer. "Didn't Mary ask for a room swap the other day?"
"Oh yeah. How'd you know that?" Lucy scrunched up her face and tried to think when she even told Cordelia that.
"Last night? Remember?"
But nothing came to Lucy's mind. "I really don't." Because she didn't, Cordelia just overheard Mary and Mrs Cole speaking while she was running errands for the old matron who had decided to take extra care of Cordelia after her little fit that Cordelia swore she had no memory of.
"But what about it?" Lucy asked. She kept observing Cordelia closely, not really believing that she told her friend about the topic. "Mary only wanted a room on the third floor to get away from Ed and Clive to leave her insect collection alone."
"Then give her your room, she'll have a room with her collection."
"Yes but my room is infested with bugs."
"And Mary likes bugs more than people. Honestly, I don't see the problem here." Lucy was wasting her breath. Mary would probably love to room with her entire collection of insects and whatever away from Edmund and Clive. Cordelia saw it as the only option to keep everyone happy and keep her own peace. "Besides, you hardly even use that room."
"But still…"
"Just tell Mrs Cole that you'll agree to the swap."
That was the end of the conversation.
Lucy drew in a sharp breath and opened her mouth to say something more. Cordelia merely looked at her and she closed her mouth. Cordelia was done with her and nothing Lucy said would drive her interest back to her.
It wasn't like Cordelia was doing it on purpose, she just thought that sometimes Lucy had a tendency to ramble and Cordelia would rather lose herself in her daydreams or nightmares than listen to Lucy's nonsensical rambles. Sure she felt terrible for her friend over her own behaviour but she couldn't help it. Lucy's rambles were long and tedious to listen to and honestly, boring for her.
A knock at the door was heard and Lucy sat up while Cordelia didn't even bother to reach. "Delia, there's someone at the door." Lucy said, trying to grab some of her attention away from the spider spinning its web or the butterfly fluttering its wings.
The door opened and Cordelia didn't even bother to turn her head but just hearing Lucy's quick footsteps rushing out of her room told her enough.
"Tom." Cordelia curtly greeted, finally turning away from the spider and the butterfly. "Do you need something?"
Tom glared at Lucy's retreating form, not even bothering to hide his distaste for Cordelia's only other friend at Wool's before turning to Cordelia. He held up a plate of plain cheese and onion sandwiches for her and gave her a look which made Cordelia groan. He didn't look too happy and neither was she.
"You skipped lunch." Said Tom as he made himself home in her room. He placed the plate of food on her nightstand and gave her a look. He looked annoyed and motioned towards the plate. "Eat."
"I'm not hungry." Cordelia replied, trying to hide her diary from him. He noticed it right away and his gaze darkened before his face shifted to a blank look. "You can have it or leave it here and I'll take it back."
Tom sighed. He always found her little habits annoying. Food was one thing he never passed on considering how hard it was to come by for them yet Cordelia had no problem eating as little as she could. It annoyed him to no end how often she'd skip meals for no reason but he didn't want to argue with her. She'd give him a single answer and ignore him, give him the same treatment he gave everyone else around him.
He picked up a piece of sandwich and halved it. "I'll have a half of one so you can finish the rest at least." He tried being as gentle as he could. It wasn't like him to be gentle, he wasn't gentle but after Cordelia's little fit months ago, he had been treading carefully around her, still suspicious of the true cause of her fit.
"You can have the entire thing. I know you want more and I told you I'm not hungry."
"Cordelia." Tom stared down at her with his dark eyes, looking every bit as intimidating as the nightmares that haunted Cordelia's sleepless nights. "Eat." He repeated. "I won't repeat myself. You'll feel sick afterwards."
She puffed up her cheeks and blew out some air before gingerly picking up the half a piece that Tom split up and bit into it. Immediately she felt a little better and a little sick. It wasn't the cheese or the onion that made her ill or the way Tom hovered around her but just eating made her sick at times and that afternoon was just those times. She had to put down the sandwich and wait before taking another bite.
"I heard you've been helping around the house." Said Cordelia, in-between bites, trying to take her mind off the nausea.
Tom nodded and took a seat on the empty bed opposite hers. He dusted off the bread crumbs from his little snack and clasped his hands together. "Someone said I should be kinder to the people around you." Though, it actually pained him to even lend them a hand for their stupid menial chores, he had no choice but to do it.
Cordelia raised her brows and had to put down her sandwich for a second. "That's funny considering you never listen to anyone, especially this someone you mentioned."
"I'm trying something new, I don't know if it will work out in my favour but I hope it does."
She stared at him for a second before quickly finishing her meal. The nauseous feeling she felt earlier had all but faded. She didn't want to admit it but talking to Tom did help. She'd never say it outloud, Tom's head would get even bigger than it already was. "I give it a month or if I have to be nice then a year at most."
"You have so little faith in me." It amused him to no end and she was right, if Tom was the same person he was before his unfortunate defeat at that boy's hands then he'd never bother with this change and would carry on as usual. "I'm determined this time."
"We'll see." She wasn't convinced. "I heard you're doing some of the milk and paper rounds. I thought you didn't like leaving your room."
Tom shrugged. He didn't really like people. They were a waste of his time unless he could get something out of them. Everyone was the same, they wanted something from him and in turn, he wanted something from them. That was all people were to Tom, a means of getting what he wanted. Stepping stones for his goals.
At one point, Cordelia was the same but that was before she managed to worm her way into his life and then promptly leave him when she knew he couldn't live without her. She was more cruel than him.
"Like I said, I'm trying something different and I'm getting paid for it so it's alright."
"You never cared about money."
"Because I didn't know the value of it."
"It's just a few pieces of metal and paper."
Tom clicked his tongue and stood up. "You know they're not just a few pieces of metal and paper."
Cordelia nodded, she realised then how awful she sounded. Tom could just tell by looking at her face, how guilty she must've been feeling at that moment.
Two knocks were heard followed by Mrs Cole's careful voice. "Cordelia?" The old matron called out and Cordelia sat up as did Tom. "Are you and Tom in there?"
Tom stiffened. He quickly turned to look at the calendar on Cordelia's wall and the clock on the wall.
Right on time.
Cordelia spared Tom a glance and was about to answer when Tom beat her to it. "Yes, Mrs Cole."
The old matron didn't say anything, her footsteps seemed to fade. She returned a moment later but it was clear to both Cordelia and Tom that she wasn't alone as the voice of another and the sound of another set of footsteps were heard.
Cordelia looked at Tom with a question but Tom wasn't looking at her. He had this odd look on his face. His eyes narrowed on the painted door of her room. There was a strange spark in his eyes that caught her interest.
Tom was looking forward to the person behind the door.
Cordelia didn't know who the person behind the door was but maybe Tom did.
How?
She didn't know.
She tried to think about all the different possibilities and came up with nothing except a few boring ideas that honestly made her want to throw her brain away.
Tom got up. He sat down next to her on her bed, almost as if he was making space for the person behind the door.
Cordelia gave him an annoyed look and shifted to give him some space. She didn't understand his sudden eagerness and the way he was acting and she never had the chance to ask as the door opened.
On the other side, a tall man in a long grey coat and matching suit walked in. He had a peculiar hat on his head, the same grey shade as his suit but the bowler hat seemed to have some embroidered stars on it, making him appear very silly.
A cool yet warm breeze blew in despite all the windows being shut in the room. The man took off his hat and held it close to his chest. Cordelia noticed his long greying auburn hair and matching beard though his beard wasn't as long as his hair.
The man stepped forward and smiled at the two children warmly. His crescent shaped glasses slid down his nose when he gave a little nod in greeting.
Behind him, standing nervously dragging her nails over her rosary beads was Mrs Cole. The man appeared warm and fairly kind but Mrs Cole seemed almost apprehensive as if she didn't trust the man. She gave him a look before plastering a smile on her face and stepping forward.
Cordelia recognised that look Mrs Cole gave the stranger. It was the same look she gave her and Tom whenever something strange happened at Wool's.
Mrs Cole cleared her throat and turned to the children. "Cordelia. Tom." Both of them sat up and looked at the matron. "I'd like to introduce you to someone, this is Professor Albus Dumbledore." The corners of the man's lips turned into a kind smile as he bowed his head at his name. "H-he has something to tell you two."
Cordelia instantly recognised that name. Her head snapped towards the man. She knew him or heard of him. Her sister used to always go on and on about the professors at her school and her parents mentioned him too once or twice around her.
"It appears Miss Alder already knows little about me." Professor Dumbledore took a seat at the empty bed where Tom was sitting moments before and made himself home. "You don't have to worry, Mrs Cole."
"I wasn't worried about Cordelia." Mrs Cole mumbled out nervously. "Well, I'll leave you to it and I hope," She gave a quiet look to Tom. "That the two of you will be on your best behaviours."
Tom merely nodded in response. Not that Mrs Cole even bothered to look at him. She was already gone as quickly as she had come.
"Now, I'm sure you two are wondering what I am doing here." Professor Dumbledore began, taking out two thick envelopes with red seals.
"Are you here to take us in?" Tom said, almost sounding as if he was reading a script. Cordelia and Professor Dumbledore just stared at him and Cordelia almost wanted to curse at Tom but held it.
Professor Dumbledore chuckled before his laughs turned to awkward coughs. He passed the thick letters to Tom and Cordelia. "Well, unfortunately no. I'm here to deliver your Hogwarts acceptance letters and I understand that Cordelia might understand what I'm saying and this might be all new to you Tom but you are a wizard." Tom scoffed at his words just like he did in the past. "It sounds quite unbelievable but it's true. I'm sure you and Cordelia noticed strange but remarkable things happening around you two. Things that cannot be explained by anyone with any reason."
"I suppose but magic…it all sounds a little childish."
Cordelia stared at Tom in silence.
'You are a child.'
She wanted to say that to Tom but she held her tongue. Even if the two were somewhat friendlier, she tried her best to not cross the line she had drawn. Tom was still the same Tom even if pretended to be 'nicer' than usual.
"But it's real." She said instead. "My father was a wizard too!" She looked at Tom with a bright feigned smile. "And my mother was a witch! I know it sounds unbelievable but Professor Dumbledore is telling the truth. Magic is real."
"Cordelia…" Tom began, a little taken back by her little outburst like he didn't expect her to mention her own parents. "He's probably trying to be nice to us—"
"But it is real." Professor Dumbledore cut through his words and Tom's eyes twitched. Cordelia warily took Tom's hands into hers. He was upset, no, he was furious. He didn't like people interrupting him. "I can prove it." The Professor continued unaware of what was going on.
"It's not real." Tom repeated, his sudden burst of rage subsiding.
The moment Tom said the butterfly that was flying around in Cordelia's room was pushed to the centre of the room. Professor Dumbledore took out a sleek wooden stick, his wand and pointed at the blue butterfly and muttered something under his breath. Sparks flew from his wand and the butterfly shifted in front of their eyes into a blue owl.
Tom sat up.
An owl?
He glanced back at Cordelia in disbelief but she didn't understand why he was feeling that way and only smiled confidently. He didn't smile back, he turned away from her and looked at the curtains and then back at Professor Dumbledore. The blue owl perched on his arm mocking Tom.
The curtains were supposed to be the ones to be caught on flames but they were fine. Professor Dumbledore could he…
No.
He couldn't be.
Tom sat back down and lifted the heavy familiar letter in his hands. He broke the seal before Cordelia and traced his fingers over the ink letters. It was all the same yet something felt different. Perhaps it was because he was in her room not his own or perhaps he had changed that caused everyone around him to change or perhaps…
So many changes and so many things to think about but for now, Tom would keep it all to a side and think only of Hogwarts.
"Now, Hogwarts is a Boarding School and that means that you two will not be staying at Wool's during term time. You two will get the opportunity to come back…" Professor Dumbledore looked around the shabby room. "...home for the holidays though students have the choice to stay at Hogwarts during Christmas but before all that, we'll be needing to collect listed equipment and textbooks."
Tom wasn't listening anymore. He was too busy staring at Cordelia who without him even noticing him had moved away from him and closer to the window as if she was putting distance between the two. She didn't even look at him or notice his presence, too busy chatting with Professor Dumbledore about something Tom didn't care about.
"Ah before I forget," Professor Dumbledore reached into his pocket and took out another letter. "I ran into your uncle the other day," Cordelia's face lit up at the mention of her remaining family and she stood up in interest. "I mentioned in passing that I'd be paying you a visit so he gave me a letter for you. I trust you will find some of the answers you were looking for."
"Some?" Cordelia and Tom said at the same time. Tom stared at the sealed envelope in Cordelia's hand with interest but Cordelia quickly folded it and slipped it inside her diary.
She still didn't trust him and she wasn't bothering to hide it anymore.