Paradox | T. Riddle ✔

~•2.2•~

Tom stormed out of the Leaky Cauldron without having breakfast even because the sight that had met his eyes was unbearable. If he hadn't left, he would have hexed Silas Avery then and there with no regret of the countless people watching.

But he decided not to act on impulse and allowed his anger to simmer down.

Avery was his Death Eater after all, he would see to it that he got the punishment he deserved but without any witness to accuse Tom of the torture he had in mind for the blonde wizard.

He tried to block everything out, focusing only on the task at hand but the sight of Eleanor amiably conversing with a wizard so low in rank to Tom, stung him. The memory of her beautiful smile being bestowed on Avery, unworthy Silas Avery who was his Death Eater, who could never be able to be his match, who he could kill with a single flick of his wand...

And yet Avery was the one she had chosen over him and the thought riled him up immensely, a venomous jealousy shooting up his veins.

He clenched his fist but released it, taking in deep breaths to calm himself down as he rang the doorbell to Hepzibah Smith's abode. He had been sent by Caractacus Burke to make the final deal for the goblin made armor that Miss Smith had wanted to sell to them.

Each second of waiting was dreadful for he couldn't push out the scenes his vivid imagination was cooking up for him, all containing Silas and Eleanor laughing together. When the door opened revealing a shrunken house elf, he sighed in relief because the pictures in his head were distorting, showing the two lean closer to each other yet again.

The elf led him in and he schooled his expression, knowing he had to get the task done without any of his own unbearable thoughts hindering him. He was asked to be seated in the parlor until Hepzibah Smith would join him so he sat down on the couch, foot tapping the floor impatiently and eyes flickering around the surroundings, trying to find anything to focus on that could distract him from the tempest raging in his mind.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long enough as the old woman entered with her house elf dragging the tea trolley behind her.

"Ah Tom, my boy, how lovely of you to drop by here," she exclaimed as she sat down on the armchair opposite him, "you are such excellent company at tea and I couldn't be more grateful for your decision to visit."

Tom plastered a saccharine smile on his face, cleverly disguising the unease he felt upon being there at the moment because he couldn't help that his thoughts were constantly wandering towards Silas and Eleanor.

He couldn't fathom why she was talking to him and it stung him more because it was evident that Avery was flirting with her yet she hadn't thwarted him at all, listening to him with an amused smile playing upon her lips.

He felt jealous to such a dangerous extent that the knuckles on his clenched fists whitened.

What did she see in him that he lacked? How could she choose that blundering fool over the soon to be greatest Dark Wizard?

"Sugar, darling?"

His head snapped up, slightly startled to hear her voice because he had zoned out while she had been rambling on earlier. Dislike fluttered on his face for a brief instant before he masked it again with a beguiling smile; he hated the word darling coming out of any other mouth than Nicole's.

"Two cubes, please. Thank you."

"Quite the sweet tooth, I see," she placed two cubes in his tea cup and stirred before handing it to him. "So what is the reason to you visiting this old boring woman this time?"

He chose to get down to the topic immediately, wanting to be rid of her as soon as possible, "Mister Burke had sent me to make the final offer for your authentic goblin made armor. Five hundred galleons and no more."