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—TOM LIFTED HIS HEAD UP FROM THE BOOK HE WAS READING WHEN SOMEONE KNOCKED ON HIS BEDROOM DOOR. "Come in." He said, immediately looking away when Rigel walked in.
Rigel frowned. "You've been ignoring me for about a week now." He stated.
And he was right.
And as much as he hated to admit it; it hurt.
Goddamnit it hurt.
Tom was the only person Rigel felt... normal.. around.
Remus and Sirius were.. different.
Rigel had been suspecting that his guardians had blamed themselves for his depression, and judging by how they acted, he knew it was true.
The two did everything in their power to try to act like they didn't blame themselves, but it was very obvious.
Like how Remus would get him his pills every morning and would never forget, even if Rigel himself did.
Like how Sirius, who hated books, would visit libraries around London and get Rigel new books almost everyday.
They treated Rigel like he would break any second and were extremely gentle around him. Even going as far as sending him pity looks when they thought he wasn't watching.
Rigel simply hated that.
The two made Rigel feel different.
He wanted to be treated like normal.
Tom, however... Tom understood perfectly.
So, he was the only one, other than Cierra (who didn't even know what was happening), to treat Rigel like normal, but there were times he would check up on him.
He would ask him if he had eaten his pills some days, and would remind him to go take a nap whenever he noticed Rigel dozing off or noticed the bags under his eyes.
The only difference between Rigel's guardians and Tom was... Tom acted like it was normal.
Not like he was different.
He made Rigel feel normal.
"I haven't." mumbled Tom, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Have I done something wrong?"
".. do you even care?"
"Of course I do." said Rigel immediately.
It was only then they both realized what he had just said.
Why did Rigel even care?
They both thought that at the same time, both of their brows furrowing in thought and confusion.
"I didn't know you cared..."
"Nor did I."
"You don't seem very happy about that." Tom knowingly pointed out.
Rigel looked away, not knowing what to say.
It was the first time he cared for somebody.. other than his family.
And it felt... well, if Rigel were being honest— it felt horrible.
Tom could leave anytime he wanted and that's what scared Rigel to no end.
So why did he even care?
"I don't care for you." lied Rigel after a few seconds. "I was just curious as to why you're ignoring me. That's all."
"Why are you so scared to admit that you actually care for someone?" asked Tom, a frown on his face.
Rigel stayed quiet for a few seconds. "Because it gives them the power to potentially hurt me."
"But I'm not like that—!"
"You were the first person, who ever hurt me." Rigel cut him off. "You made me an orphan, when you know how horrible being an orphan is. You made me hate Halloween forever. You made me famous— which I absolutely hate, I have no privacy whatsoever."
"..Rigel I.. I panicked, alright?" Tom sighed. "Here.."
Rigel watched in confusion as Tom stood up and grabbed something from his bedside table.
It was a blue glass ball. A prophecy.
"It's the prophecy. About us." explained Tom, noticing Rigel's confused look.
"The prophecy?"
Tom nodded, giving it to him. "Go ahead."
Rigel pulled out his wand, pointing it at the prophecy.
They both knew what the prophecy already said, of course, but neither of them had actually seen it.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."
"Right." said Rigel after a few minutes of silence. "And that gave you the permission to kill my parents."
"Rigel—" Tom anxiously rubbed his face "—it's not that. I was a fool back then, and my only fear was death. Knowing a baby had the power to kill me, drove me mad.. anyways, that's not the reason I'm ignoring you."
Putting the prophecy back in Tom's bedside table, Rigel curiously looked at Tom.
"Then why are you ignoring me?"
"...You wouldn't understand."
"Try me." said Rigel, trying to cover up the fact that he was actually hurt... shockingly.
