April 27th, 1939,
The Easter holidays are over with, though it really didn't seem like much of a holiday with all of the homework I've been doing. Final exams are coming up in June and everyone has reluctantly started to prepare for them. I was one of the few that studied over the Easter holidays, everybody else mostly relaxed and enjoyed the remaining bit of freedom they had before worrying about the exams.
Every day I've been heading to the library to find books to take with me back to the common room to study and every day I see Tom in there as well. Shortly after the Quidditch finals we continued our meetings, although the meetings weren't quite the same as they used to be. Something about the meetings felt . . . odd. Perhaps it’s just me, but I think that being in Slytherin with all those "pure-blood" freaks and stuck up gits that he's around twenty-four/seven is affecting him.
I would point it out it to him, but I don't know how he'd take it. He’d probably deny it anyway.
---
After classes were over with, Miriam made her daily pilgrimage to the library. Not only was she meeting Tom again, but she was preparing for the end of year exams that were coming up in June. Apparently, Tom was preparing for them too.
As she was looking for a book on Charms, she bumped into her brother. "Oh, hi Tom!" Miriam said cheerfully. He replied with a simple "Hi."
"Are you preparing for the end of year exams too?" she asked, hoping to get more of a response out of him. He nodded and answered, "Yeah. I'm looking for some books to take back with me."
"Which ones are you looking for?" she inquired. When he told her, she responded, "I have those. I've finished reading them so you can have them if you like."
As she gave him her finished books, she noticed that he had the Charms book she was searching for. "Were you looking at the Charms book too? I was looking for it to read."
"Here, you can take it. I was just gonna return it anyway," Tom replied rather dully, handing her the Charms book. She thanked him for it and together they headed over toward an empty table to talk. Miriam suddenly found it hard to talk to him. Normally conversations with him came easily to her, but this time it didn't. Now she felt like she was talking to a brick wall.
"So," Miriam began slowly, "how's everything going in... Slytherin."
Tom just shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
They remained quiet for a little bit. Eventually Miriam tried her hand at talking to Tom again. "Are you excited about the exams?"
Tom looked up from his book and replied, "I guess so. Why do you ask?"
Miriam was slowly beginning to lose her patience. If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn she saw a tiny glimpse of a smile on his face when he didn’t think she was looking. Was he enjoying annoying her?
"So," she trying again and tapping her foot on the floor, attempting for the last and final time to get more than just a few words out of her stoic brother, "how are Carrey and Murdoch?"
"They're fine," he answered, not even looking up from his book.
“Tom, do you know how to answer a question with more than just two or three words?” she asked scathingly.
“Um-hmm. Why do you ask? HA! There, see!” he replied sarcastically. “I used eight words.”
Miriam could feel her blood starting to boil.
"Look Tom," she yelled jumping up from her seat, "I don't know what your problem is, but it's gotta stop. You used to enjoy talking with me. Now I can't even get more than a few words out of you!"
In a huff, she grabbed her books and stormed off, leaving Tom with a small sneer on his lips.
“Do I perceive distension in the air?” a third voice hollered.
“Shut-up, Peeves,” she heard Tom sigh, throwing a large book at the poltergeist.
“Ooh, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, widdle baby Wriddle tells me!” Peeves taunted.
Miriam looked behind her at the translucent ghost wearing a horrid orange suit, flying just inches above her brother’s head.
Nick was right, she thought. Peeves is definitely one to stay away from.
May 13th, 1939,
The days have gotten so hot that every day after class, Marcella, Sophie, and I head to the lake to cool off. I used to employ this time by going to the library to visit Tom, but since that last visit, I haven't gone back to see him since.
---
"Have you been to visit your Tom recently?" Marcella asked one day as her Sophie and Miriam were sitting out by the lake, dragging their feet in the water to cool off. "No," Miriam answered. It was something she hadn't talked about very much. It hurt her too deeply. A part of her still wanted to see Tom, the other didn't. Her friends knew why she wasn't meeting him any more and they had been supportive of her.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Sophie said. "Maybe you guys just need some time apart."
Later when they headed down to the Great Hall for dinner that evening, Miriam overheard someone whispering loudly from the Slytherin table. "Those Gryffindors think they're so big."
There was some snickering and someone else added, "We'll make them pay." Miriam looked over at Sophie and Marcella, who each just shrugged their shoulders and rolled their eyes. As Miriam continued walking, she heard someone say a little louder, "Your sis sure is stuck up." Quickly glancing behind her, she saw Tom squirm in his seat and fondle his black hair. "She's fine. Leave her alone."
At least, Miriam thought, he's still defending me. That gave her a little pang of guilt in her stomach. She knew that she should try and meet Tom again. It wasn't fair that he had to spend all his time with those unrefined prats who were probably jading him right as she spoke. She decided that she would try after dinner to meet Tom, but unfortunately after dinner he left the Great Hall with the other Slytherins and Miriam wasn't able to catch up with him.
June 2nd, 1939,
The end of year exams are finally over. They started yesterday morning after breakfast and didn't end until around lunchtime. All the First years were dreading this day, except Tom and me.
Unfortunately we have to wait until the summer before we find out how we did. The waiting and suspense are bloody dreadful, though Sophie and Marcella keep reassuring me that I probably aced the tests with no problem.
---
"Don't worry about it, Miriam," Sophie reassured. "Yeah," agreed Marcella. "What is more, everyone was worried about the tests before they began, you're worried about them afterwards."
All the First years she encountered were ecstatic that the tests were over with. Miriam absolutely couldn't wait to find out how she'd done on them. The waiting was driving her mad.
Miriam wondered how Tom was taking it. Was he anxiously waiting for the results like her? Or was he like all the other First years who were glad they were over with? All Miriam knew was that whenever she saw him during meals, he seemed like he wasn't worried about them. She figured she shouldn't worry about them either. It just simply wasn't worth the stress she was causing herself.
June 3rd, 1939,
Tonight is the end of term feast. All the other students are happy that summer vacation is here... everyone that is, except Tom and me. Summer vacation means we have to go back to that dreaded orphanage for three whole months. I know Tom isn't happy about that.
When I saw him the other day, he looked down right infuriated. I asked him what was wrong, he told me that in just a few days that we'd be going back "to... to that place." To try and make him feel better, I told him that we'd be finding out the results of our exams very soon, though very soon meant waiting until summer. He seemed a little bit happier (but not much) after that.
---
Later that night was the end of term feast. It was as magnificent as the one they had for the beginning of the school year. Although it was bright and cheery, Miriam found it very hard to keep herself happy. Tomorrow she would be leaving her friends and heading back to that awful orphanage and she knew that Tom wasn't exactly thrilled about it either.
"Welcome students to the end of term feast!" exclaimed Professor Dippet. "It's hard to believe that the school year is over with, but don't worry, the new school year will be here before you know it."
A couple of people in the Great Hall snorted.
"Now, before we eat, we will declare the winners of the house cup!" Cheers went up from the students. "In fourth place with one-hundred and seventy five points... Hufflepuff!" The Hufflepuff table gave an unceremonious and disappointing clap. "In third place with two-hundred and fifty points... Ravenclaw!" A little bit more boisterous applause came from the Ravenclaw table. "In second place with three-hundred and twenty points... Slytherin!" Forced and anguished applause came from the Slytherin table. "And in first place with three-hundred and thirty points... certainly a close score... is Gryffindor!" Loud cheers and yells came from the Gryffindor table.
"Oh! We... we won!" Abby yelled ecstatically. She started hugging everyone within five feet of her. Miriam glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw some of them giving the Gryffindors an evil glower. Unfortunately one of those people giving them the glower was Tom. As his eyes met his sister’s, the words ‘Next year... next year we’ll win. Just you wait,’ echoed through her head.
He continued glaring at Miriam as she turned away and celebrated the House cup victory with her friends. Competitive was not normally a word she would have used with her brother, but apparently, it was so.
He probably just wants to have a bit of the glory for himself, she thought. But not this year, she added. This is our year....
June 4th, 1939,
Today is a really depressing day as I have to say good-bye to Sophie and Marcella for the summer. They promised me they'd write every week to keep in touch, it's the only thing I have to look forward to.
I'll be taking this diary with me to the orphanage, but I don't think I'll be writing in it. There usually isn't anything exciting that goes on there, but I want to keep it on me just to have.
---
"Good-bye, Miriam," Sophie said, giving her friend a tight squeeze. "We're gonna miss you," Marcella added.
"I'll miss you guys too," Miriam said, trying to fight back the tears as she embraced her friends. The three friends huddled in a circle and cried. When they finally calmed down, they each grabbed their suitcases and left Hogwarts castle. They had a long trip ahead of them.
By the entrance of the Hogwarts Express, Miriam saw Tom waiting for her.
“Canwesitnexttoeachother?” he mumbled, looking down at his feet.
“Pardon me?” Miriam asked.
“C - c - can... we sit next to each other?”
She looked at Sophie and Marcella and they each shrugged.
"Sure," Miriam replied tentatively. "That is, if you don't mind sitting next to my friends."
"No.”
“Where are Carrey and Murdoch?” she asked. "Did you have a fight or something?"
“There serving detention in a vacant compartment,” he replied morosely as they boarded the train. "Professor Ambley caught them trying to hex a Hufflepuff. She was very angry, you should have seen it." A small smile pulled at his lips. "I saw the whole thing, I thought she was going to have a fit."
"You do know that Professor Ambley is Head of Hufflepuff, right? That's why she was so upset."
Tom merely shrugged, still wearing a mysterious smile.
By the time when Miriam, Tom, Sophie, and Marcella found a vacant compartment, the other students were finally on board and the whistle sounded. The train started pulling away from the Hogwarts station, the castle slowly getting smaller in the distance.... They were heading back, a long journey back to Platform 9 3/4.
"'Till we meet again...
Until then...
Goodbye..."
A/N: Music lyrics used above are from the song "Good-bye's the Saddest Word" by Celine Dion