Luck as usual wasn't in Eleanor's favor.

Nothing changed.

She said the curse again and back she was at the Leaky Cauldron, frustrated at having to put up with the never ending cycle of events. 

But even after countless times of killing him and failing, it still felt oddly satisfying to see him die. The way his eyes glazed over, his grip on her slackened, his mouth part open in surprise and his body fall limp at her feet devoid of life and power.

It felt satisfying to see him helpless.

Such that even though she changed each and every other aspect of her time travel, each and every impactful moment she could think of to break the time loop, she could never change the most vital moment of it all.

She could not change the fact that she would still kill him at the end of everything.

And yet it hurt to put herself through all the other torture she had borne due to Tom Riddle just to be able to kill him at the last moment.

The monster was slowly eating her up alive and she couldn't stop him because once she did, she would be back at the start for it all to repeat over and over again.

At times, she felt as if she was losing her sanity stuck in that endless time loop.

Each time she returned to the doomed day, she grew more desperate, her actions clouding with frustration and rendering her to an almost crazed state.

She was still surprised why Riddle hadn't killed her yet out of rage. As her frustration grew, her hate towards him had become more evident, more poisonous such that even if she tried she couldn't miss any opportunity to rile him up the second he approached her.

She drove him insane with anger and yet he didn't kill her.

Often she would wonder whether it would create another time loop if she let herself be killed at his merciless hands.

But the answer to that question, along with many others, was still unknown.

She was back at Borgin and Burkes, the Dark Artifact shop where Tom worked as an apprentice initially but had just been promoted to the post of an artifact dealer. 

Promising witches and wizards with similar standing as Riddle had often been a catch to the Ministry of Magic, so Riddle's choice to make application to such a disreputable establishment in Knockturn Alley was seen as odd.

What everyone else failed to unearth was that Tom was using the shop's connections to the Dark Arts to further his independent studies in the branch.

"Eleanor, sweetheart, so glad you finally showed up," she turned around hearing the lilting voice and was gathered in a warm hug by Nicole Burke, the sole daughter to the shop owner Caractacus Burke.

Tom was not in the shop yet as he had gone to secure a deal for a priceless ancient armor so there was silence in the shop otherwise, his leering comments conveniently no longer audible.

It hurt Eleanor to think that sweet woman who was so kind to everyone, including her, would be used by Tom Riddle as another toy to play with and discarded when she would be no longer needed.

She wanted so bad to warn her of his real intentions, to tell her that he was just using her to propel himself in her father's eyes and once he got what he wanted from both of them, he would leave her and seek out another prey.

He had always done that.

He broke the toys he played with beyond repair and it didn't take him even a second longer to find another doomed soul to wreck.

And Eleanor had never been able to stop him because the killing curse despite working on him still propelled her to the past for her to relive everything all over again.

In a couple days, she would hear Nicole had committed suicide and the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

"My dear, are you ill?" The woman led her to the back gate that connected with the Burke's family home and she followed her as she took her upstairs to her own room.

The same room where she would be found dead in the days to come.

"I'm... I'm just tired..."

"Ah I see, you leave so early in the morning and return late, of course you are tired," she remarked, making her sit down on the bed as she poured her a glass of water, "take some rest, darling, you don't have to tire yourself out."

In the short time Eleanor had known her, she had become almost like a close friend to her. Nicole reminded her strongly of her own sister and it hurt twice worse to think that both would end up in a similar fate due to the same monstrous wizard hovering over them akin to a constant peril.

"Thank you," she looked at her innocent face again, thinking whether or not to tell her Tom's reality but then finally decided that she had seen her die so many times before, she should take the risk then and hopefully it would prevent her death even if it would not be enough to break the time loop.

"What's troubling you, Ellie? You know you can tell me anything."

She took in a deep breath, nodding as she took her hands in her own, "I will but first you have to promise me you will listen to the very end. You will not lash out immediately."

A surprised laugh ensued from her, "why would I lash out at you? You're my friend, dear, I would never..."

"Promise me, please."

She nodded, "alright, I promise. Now tell me what's bothering you."

"Tom... Tom's bothering me from ever since the first day I met you. From even before the day I met you..." She spoke up at last, knowing she was taking a huge risk as she watched the smile from her friend's face vanish, "Nicole, he is not what he seems to be. He is not a good person, he does not deserve you."

"But... But how can you say that for certain?"

"I swear I am not lying to you. He will destroy you if you keep up whatever is between you and him. He is just using you for his own gain, trust me, he doesn't give a damn about you and the way you feel about him. He's just... He will use you for his means and then throw you away. Just like... Just like..."

"Just like he has done to you?" Her voice was muted though it wasn't what Eleanor was going to say to her, "has he... Did he ruin you before coming to me, Eleanor? Did he... Did he hurt you?

But she didn't contradict her, "yes. Just like he has done to me."

Realization dawned upon Nicole's features as she connected the puzzle pieces in her head, "is that why you are so frigid around him? Is that why you never stay with us when I stop you for dinner? Does his presence make you feel angry?"

"Angry would be an understatement," she had closed her eyes, picturing her saying the curse again and his body falling at her feet but to no avail, "he destroyed everything I had, Nicole. Everything..."

Nicole looked down at their entwined hands then back at the distressed features of her companion. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for her grow in her heart despite the fact that she had just accused her fiancé of such terrible deeds.

She could see Eleanor wasn't lying.

And so she retrieved her hands from her but pulled her close in a hug, fingers gently stroking her hair, "you did right to warn me, Ellie. You did absolutely right."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything..."

"No don't be. He's the one who should suffer, not you," though deep down Nicole was still in conflict.

She knew Eleanor was telling her the truth even though the woman had no proof and she also knew that Tom would never admit to those accusations if she asked him.

But she had to confront him because her own future depended on it.

She had to demand the truth from him herself.

"Don't worry, darling, everything will be alright soon," her voice was reassuring as she comforted Eleanor, but her heart was sinking swiftly.

If what Eleanor had said was really true, which she had no doubt in anymore, then Tom was definitely much more dangerous than she gave him credit for.

She had to protect Eleanor from him at all costs so she gave her an address and told her to go there and stay instead of staying with her because Tom would likely get to her easier if she stayed with the Burkes.

"My friend Laverne will take you in, I'll also write her a letter, okay? And once I sort everything out with Tom, you can come back here. But not before that," she gently explained to her, "I don't want you to get hurt anymore due to him."

A wave of relief had washed over her upon seeing that her friend was not blinded by her love for Riddle and was actually taking a rational route.

Maybe it was all she needed to break the time loop, maybe it would be the last time she would have to say the killing curse.

Nicole accompanied her out to the main gate, knowing that Tom would return any moment and it would be better if Eleanor left without him finding out that she had gone.

She embraced her for the last time as she bid her farewell, "you've been like a sister to me, Nicole, I will always be grateful for all your help."

The woman smiled kindly, "you've been like a sister to me too, Ellie. Take care of yourself. And don't worry about Tom, I will see to it that he doesn't trouble you again."

And even though her voice had conviction, Eleanor couldn't miss the faint trace of fear in her hazel irises.

"You also take care of yourself, please."

She nodded with a soft but sad smile, "I will, I promise."

With one last embrace, she finally left for the address Nicole had given. Just like she had said, Laverne Yaxley took her in willingly and gave her a nice room to stay in as well.

Though next morning, her worst fears were confirmed when Laverne came to her room with terrible news, her face drained of color and her eyes horror struck.

"Nicole committed suicide last night," her voice shook as she informed her and Eleanor felt her world dissolve into terrible darkness all over again.

She had failed terribly.

Just like she always did.

***