The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xxxviii.

I think we're just gonna have to be secretly

in love with each other and leave it at that.

-unknown

Atarah.

We both look at each other at the same time, shock crossing both of our faces. I jump down from the table and bend down to pick up the book. I open it up and flip through the pages, looking for a clue as to where it was hidden. I turn it over and notice that there is a small gap in the spine.

"My parents gave me this book right before I left for Hogwarts. I've read this book countless times and this whole time the other half of the key has been right here." I speak the words quietly, mainly to myself but also to Tom.

"We need to tell the others right now." Tom's tone is cold and distant now. I watch as he quickly fixes his shirt and runs a hand through his hair before opening the door and leaving. So much has happened in the past ten minutes I cannot begin to process any of it. I walk over to the small wall mirror and look at myself.

A hickey is beginning to form on my collar bone and a few more that start to lead further down. A let out a deep breath before pulling my top on tighter to hide them. I turn and exit my room and start walking down the stairs. Along the way Francis joins me, looking as if he was just woken up.

All of us now surround near the fireplace in the drawing room. Tom clears his throat before he opens his fist and holds out the key piece for everyone to see. The others step forward immediately to get a closer look at what Tom holds.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"The other half of the key, Atarah has had it the entire time without knowing."

"So what does this mean?" Cyrus asks the question we have all been wondering and Tom looks towards the blazing fire in thought.

"We now have what Dumbledore has been looking for so now we continue to train and when we are ready, we fight." I begin to feel sick at the realization of how bad this will be, and how there are only a few ways this could end. Either one of us surrenders which will not happen or one of us dies. I don't want to think more on the second thought because that will open up other realizations that I am not ready to admit to.

As I look around everyone in this room I realize how far all of this has gone. At the beginning of the year I could never imagine the person I have become. The person who has experienced death and betrayal that gives me nightmares. How I can still feel the lingering pain from when Dumbledore tried to kill me. And who I have become to trust and rely on. I may never completely forgive them for what they did to me along the way but standing here now I can't imagine fighting with anyone else.

...

Five days have passed since we found the partial key. Since then we have been constantly training and preparing for what is to come. We sleep only when we are too exhausted to continue but I know that each of us doesn't want to waste any more time than we have to.

Abraxas and I have started training longer during the day and sometimes even into the evening. Every so often the others will join us and give me tips on spells but they also are practicing themselves. I think they don't want to take any chances with this and want to be as prepared as they can possibly be. I don't blame them, all of our lives are on the line. Dumbledore is powerful but we have the upper hand right now.

However my training with Tom has lessened. He has secluded himself in his room a lot lately and has asked Vittorio to help me. Which he has been, from the first lesson we had together I realized that Vittorio is a natural at both reading the mind and blocking it. So even though I enjoy the lessons with Vittorio I find myself wanting it to be Tom instead. I can still feel his touch and the way he would flick his tongue across my lips. I try to convince myself that its because of the way we left it unfinished but another part of me is starting to realize that I have come to depend more on his presence. Especially the way I feel around him, as if the world disappears.