kneel | Tom Riddle

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58| Albania Part I

"So, what's the plan? Are we spending the whole time just wandering around the forest looking for a bloody diadem?" Seraphina looked at the muddy ground with a disgusted face. They were so lucky that it started raining for no more than five minutes and, after it stopped raining, the sun was shining and the dirt on the ground was slippery, "This is absolutely disgusting. It's wet and hot, and I want to cry."

Tom walked ahead of her unbothered, looking everywhere around him. He didn't realize Seraphina wasn't used to that weather and neither was he, but he wasn't complaining, for his determination to found the diadem spoke louder, "Be patient, today we're only knowing this forest better. We must know what it has to offer before we can start searching more seriously. We wouldn't want to find any unexpected surprises," he said, without turning around to look at her.

Seraphina was violently sweating and her face was burning because of the sun that occasionally touched her skin when there were fewer trees. She really wasn't enjoying her time in Albania and it was only her first day. How was she supposed to survive in that horrible weather?

"Merlin, my hair is sticking to my face. Disgusting," she tried to take her hair out of her face and Tom simply ignored her, not in the mood to hear her constant complaints, "Where are we going to sleep?"

Tom didn't answer her for a couple minutes, until he finally stopped walking and turned around to look at her, his hands on his hips and his face looking at her disapprovingly, "I brought a tent for us. The inside is large enough for us to be comfortable. Leave the details of our task to me. All I want from you are your pretty eyes looking around you to see if you see something suspicious. Do you understand?"

She huffed and tied her hair in a bun, feeling her neck getting even more oily, "Do you even have an idea of how can we find the diadem? For all we know, it could be buried under us and we would never notice. We should have brought Marcius with us. At least he can use magic, while the only thing we can do is use our hands and dig as if we're stupid muggles."

Tom shook his head, "You're wrong. I know we will be able to feel its presence. It will call for us," he placed his hands on her shoulders and tilted his head to study her expression, "My dear, do you know how important this is for me?" Tom asked, feeling like he had to the obligation to remind her how everything could change if she just stopped being a coward.

She shrugged and he looked at her painful face with pleasure. As sick as it was, he could never get rid of the satisfaction of seeing her suffering and in pain. Tom was obviously fond of her, and not even he could deny it, but to see the mighty Seraphina, the princess of the wizarding world, suffering because of him, made him feel powerful and vigorous.

"I don't understand it, Tom," she admitted and he pretended to understand her confusion, "I think there are much smarter ways to create a Horcrux. All this symbolism... I believe it will be your downfall."

He made a small smile, almost condescending to her, "I shall never fall. And you will be with me to make sure of it," his lips touched her warm cheek softly and he pulled away after a couple seconds, "Are you tired?"

She nodded her head, "Yes. Can we stop for a minute, please? I need to catch my breath."

He looked at her impassively, not understanding how could she already be so tired. They have barely been walking for half a dozen hours, "I will give you five minutes."