𝐵𝑒̂𝑡𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑟𝑒 ; ᴛᴏᴍ ᴍᴀʀᴠᴏʟᴏ ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ

20

Lilith pried her eyes open and found herself in a cold, dim environment.

Her head was pounding and her bones felt weak. Every inanimate thing seemed to jump at her all at once.

"She can't go to her classes today, spread the word to her professors." A familiar voice said in a faint tone, growing louder with every step.

"Do you think perhaps the chamber of secrets opened again? This could be another attack." Another voice followed along with a natural shaky voice.

"The basilisk only attacks muggle borns. Lilith is a Pureblood."

"According to her records, she is not."

The voices stopped abruptly and so did their walking. Eventually, it turned into faint whispers that echoed throughout the halls.

"What do you mean she's not a Pureblood? She was born into the Rosenyx family which is a line of Purebloods." The familiar hasty voice replied in a loud whisper.

"Her blood says something else. She's perhaps a Halfblood. If not, a Mudblood." The other raspy voice said which made the group break out into a debate.

"Quiet. She's awaking."

The group of familiar voices were nearing towards her hospital bed, seeing her distraught in bed.

Dippet, who she'd assume was the lead of the conversation, gave her a warm smile and picked up a tray of drinks from a table.

"How are you doing?" Professor Dippet asked Lilith, placing the tray on the bedside table next to her and taking a seat.

"Exhausted and confused. What happened?" Lilith retorted in a haughty manner which was unlikely of her.

"Terrible to hear you aren't doing well. But what happened was you were found unconscious on the castle floors by your fellow peer, Tom Riddle. He was kind enough to return you to your room and make sure you were alright." Dippet explained it in a calm manner, seeming to miss major details.

Lilith furrowed her eyebrows. None of that happened. Even in her state of mind, she knew that wasn't what happened. She remembered falling from the Astronomy Tower but her mind completely shut off and she couldn't remember anything else.

She fell from the Astronomy Tower. But she didn't die.

She didn't die.

Tom saved her. Tom saved her life somehow. It made her numb to remember why she was here. To get secrets out of Tom.

The task to become his lover and make him vulnerable enough to reveal secrets.

"Oh alright." Lilith followed along with the alibi and looked away from the headmaster.

"You won't be attending classes today because of your mindset currently." Dippet put his hands on his knees, about to get up until Lilith looked sharply at him.

"What about my task?"

"What task?"

Professor Dippet looked wide eyed at her before looking at the rest of the professors, around the ward, and back at her.

Lilith quickly realized what she said and played it off, "My task in Potions. We have a big project coming up."

"Ah! Well, no need to worry about that. Just rest until you feel better. Professor Dumbledore is here as well." Dippet got up and gave Lilith one last farewell before retreating with Professor Slughorn.

"Lilith, we cannot discuss business matters right now but once you are out of the Hospital Ward, we'll have a meeting in my office." Dumbledore whispered, skeptically looking around for any lurkers.

"I can't get up and walk to your office right now. It's better if we just discuss it here. No one is here." Lilith said in a low voice, careful to not be abrupt.

Lilith sat up and looked at Dumbledore curiously.

"Explain the task and make sure to include every detail. I sense that the last time you explained the plan, you failed to include the fact that you're possibly using me to your advantage." Lilith stared down every one of them and their warm smiles dropped dead to stone cold seriousness.

"What do you mean?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"You said that you wanted me out of everyone else to make Riddle vulnerable enough to tell me his dark secrets. Why does any of that matter if i'm only supposed to find out if he opened the chamber of secrets?" Rosenyx folded her arms as she peered into the professors head.

"Your task was to simply get information from Tom and I would never willingly put you into danger if it wasn't important. The attacks are coming back and this information is crucial to keep Hogwarts safe. That means keeping you and Tom safe no matter what." Dumbledore explained, he held a pondering look as Lilith softened a bit.

"If you cannot complete your task, we have no choice but to send you back to Belle et Meutrière because of all the dangerous crimes you have in your record. This was an agreement." Dumbledore finished explaining and looked at Lilith's face that didn't change.

He knew something she didn't.

They were scared of her or what she might do.

Tom Riddle was evil. That's a known fact.

Lilith didn't care about evil people but she didn't like liars or secrets kept against her.

"I'll try." Lilith lied.

Professor Dumbledore smiled weakly and got up, motioning for her to lay back down. He said his last goodbyes and left Lilith alone in the Hospital Ward.

But she wasn't alone.

At the entrance, Tom leaned his back on the wall, taking in the information that he heard.

How could he let himself see her as a new plan? A plan to prove himself as victorious?

Lilith Rosenyx was supposedly the one to expose his secrets of being the Heir of Slytherin.

He wouldn't kill her. Why would he kill Lilith? No. He didn't want her to die, he wanted her to see what she agreed to.

He had something else in mind and Lilith Rosenyx would face the consequences that she so stupidly didn't realize.

Fuck, she frustrated him in so many ways that it drove him insane. How could she be so ignorant?

She drove him insane.