𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 | tom riddle

𝐯𝐢𝐢. enigmatic

❝𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 

𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 

𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞❞

July 3rd 1943

The next day was a Hogsmeade day and Tom was an early riser. He had evaded the previous days 'date' with Priscilla Bulstrode and was left with very little to do that day. His followers were eon their own respective dates and as always he was too far ahead on even the summers coursework to do anything more for school.

He had taken his usual position on once of the black leathers couches across from the forrest green fire place and contemplated how to put the day to good use when his brooding was interrupted.

"Good morning my lord." Abraxas said as he strode down the stairs, an unusually giddy expression gracing his face that made Tom want to be sick.

"Is there anything I need to be informed of, Abraxas?" Tom asked warily, his eyebrow raised as the grin did not disappear from Malfoy's face.

"Not that I can think of, my Lord." The blonde said, beaming at him. "Cassiopeia has finally agreed to go out with me."

Tom did not react to this news. He did not care for the love lives of his followers, love was a distraction they could do without.

"Don't let her distract you from what's truly important, Abraxas." Tom said gravely and was happy to see the smile on Abraxas' face shift slightly. "You would do well not to betray me."

"Of course, my Lord." Abraxas said, bowing his head slightly before practically running from the prefect.

"You're so clearly not a romantic, Tom." A voice called from the chair by the fireplace. 

Lilith's raven hair fell down her shoulders as her eyes were still glued to her book, a finger tracing the top of the pages and curling one slightly in preparation to turn it. He had not heard her come in and yet he found that he did not find it an unwelcome surprise.

"Romance gets in the way of what is truly important." Tom said decisively, his eyes not leaving her fingers as they moved over the pages as she read.

Lilith looked up at him now and his eyes snapped to hers. She cocked her head with a small smirk.

"Oscar Wilde said that 'you must keep love in your heart. Life without it is a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmness and richness to life that nothing else can bring." Lilith said, reciting the line from memory perfectly. 

"Oscar Wilde also said that 'the very essence in love is uncertainty' and that is not something a man of my stature and deal with." Tom said cooly watching her reaction. She nodded in acknowledgment.

"But even you cannot predict what will be your downfall." Lilith said, closing her book in her lap. "Even you cannot control what will be."

"You should not doubt me." Tom hissed, his eyes narrowing as he stood and slowly walked towards her. He was flashed back to that exact moment mere weeks ago they had been in this exact same position. "It will not serve you well if you wish to work at my side."

"I do not doubt you." A wild look graced her green eyes as she tilted her head to look up at him. "In fact, I believe that you could do anything you set your mind to if it weren't for the barriers you keep alive."

"What are you talking about?" Tom asked, crouching in front of her so their eyes were level.

Lilith leaned in closer as if someone was eavesdropping but they were virtually alone in the room, unless you wanted to count the nosey mermaids who flitted past the windows.

"The only people who know of your true blood status are in this room and cosying up in a Manor House that rightfully belongs to you."

Tom felt fury burn through his veins. His wand flicked from his pocked until it was pointed into her chest but she did not flinch as he pressed it closer and closer to her skin, above her heart.

"How did you know? Who told you?" Tom asked, infuriated.

"As I said, only we know." Lilith said nonchalantly.

"If you ever tell anyone-"

"I won't." The Rosier interrupted him. "You are as pureblooded as they come and that's the truthful phrase I shall tell anyone who asks."

Tom was silent. 

"If I were to ask you to make an unbreakable vow would you." Tom asked, it was more a statement than a question.

"Yes." She said without hesitation.

He knew he would not actually make her make the unbreakable vow. Against hie better judgement he trusted her. He had never trusted anyone in his life and for that very reason he could not put her in harms way.

"You truly are enigmatic." Tom said, his eyes still narrowed as he lowered his wand. Lilith grinned opening the book and flicking through a few pages before saying.

"Women are meant to be loved, not understood."

"What is it with you and pathetic muggle authors?" Tom asked. It was strange how his emotions were manipulated around her. He felt oddly human. As though he could feel as deeply as anyone else. "And your obsession with love?"

The last question came before he could stop himself but then again he did not care.

"Muggle authors are curious. They don't know as much as us and so it's even more entertaining to watch them speculate." Lilith said, fiddling with the end of her rakish black hair. She met his eyes then and he could feel himself soften at the human look in her eyes, as though on some metaphysical level they had just joined beings. "And love, is for me to speculate over."

"You've never felt it?" Tom asked in a hushed tone. He should not care, everything about him screamed that he should not care.

"No." 

"Neither have I." Tom said. He had never outwardly admitted it to anyone but something about her compelled him to. "I was born under amortentia."

"I'm sure you're glad of that." Lilith chuckled. "No silly romance to get in the way of your goals."

Tom studied her face.  He had expected incessant questioning, a demand that he tell her the whole tragic story. But something in her eyes, perhaps the Veela in her, knew that if she didn't know it now she would know it all in time. His eyes flicked from hers to her lips, parted slightly in the afterthought of a laugh.

"Yes." He said, standing with his wand still gripped tightly in his hand. "Quite right."

He went to walk away, to spend the rest of this infernal day untainted by the teenage primal desire of flesh. Knowing he will be haunted by her wit for the remainder of the Sunday before she called out to him. He did not turn around when she spoke.

"You're going to have to tell me your plan sooner or later, Tom." Her melodious voice said, he could hear pages flipping so he assumed she ah once again opened her muggle book. "We are partners now, after all."

They were partners for better or worse. Like doomed marriage vows. His eyes narrowed and jaw clicked at her words. She is a distraction, a distraction that could cost him everything. A distraction that sparked a hungry, passionate fire within him that he had never felt before. Where lesser men would be scared at these sudden, terrible feelings, he merely became more fascinated. 

"All in time darling." Tom said, pocketing his wand and finally walking away. He felt her eyes on his back and smirked. He had her wrapped around his finger whether she realised it or not. 

But he refused to realise, that she believed the same thing. Only vice versa.