sixteen {open}

[amadeus]

Today felt utterly unremarkable, though in reality Amadeus supposed it ought to have felt like a milestone. Today, Friday the twenty-seventh of March was his sixteenth birthday. Really, it felt like any other day, nothing spectacular about it. He had effectively cut ties with almost the entire population of Hogwarts, he was sure that nobody in the halls that day had even been aware that it even was his birthday. Though that was fine by him. Amadeus didn't want that sort of attention anymore, he'd rather be left alone. So it had passed like any other Friday, he'd gone to class, kept his head down, inwardly groaned as he was piled with more homework.

OWL exams were looming around the corner, and as such the professors were making sure that none of the fifth year could have a moment to spare for anything but their studies. Which suited him fine, Amadeus did better when he had something to do with his brain, otherwise he would just... be. Lately he didn't do anything unless he had to. That was, unless piano counted, but he hadn't touched a set of keys since the Christmas holidays had concluded and he had returned to Hogwarts. It wasn't until now that Amadeus realised he had missed it.

Sighing lightly, he plopped down on the floor in the top room of the clock tower, behind the mechanical workings of the giant clock- in a good vantage point to gaze through the clear glass of the clock's face to observe the grounds. It was Amadeus' favourite spot in the school, secluded, quiet spare for his thoughts and the soft clicking and whirring of clockwork. It really was a beautiful thing. Amadeus unzipped his bag, pulling out the single envelope he had gotten at breakfast, there was no return address, merely his first name neatly penned on the back in a brilliant sapphire blue ink, but he figured he knew where it was from.

Finally opening it, Amadeus pulled out a simple card, not paying much attention to the outside, he flicked it open to find a long note- written on both sides in the same elegant cursive. The words were touching, sentimental, thanking him for what he had done and for staying around, it was signed by the Trueloves. There was nothing else, just the card, but honestly, the words were more than adequate. No one had ever said anything like that to him, it was honestly quite emotional- to know that his existence meant something to someone.

Gingerly, Amadeus tucked the card back into the envelope before slipping it into one of his textbooks to prevent it from being crumpled. He had been planning on working on his massive amount of homework, however, he was now a bit distracted. Amadeus placed his elbow on his knee, and his chin on his fist, not paying any mind as his sleeve slipped down his forearm, revealing the evidence of his self-harm. One was very fresh, he'd given it to himself that morning without any regard that it was his birthday- he was sixteen, he still bleed, he was, at the very least, alive.