Of Monsters and Men- Tom Riddle x OC

38

Animo trudged down the dungeon stairs, as though each step required more effort than she was able to give. A large stack of textbooks rested in the crook of her elbow, their spines pushing against the flesh of her skin. The last few days had been achingly lonely, more so than her years at Hogwarts in the future, hidden away from the rest of the world. It seemed once again that she was a frightened young child, scrambling for some sort of companionship but coming up with nothing but a handful of shadows. Avril and Alphard had been avoiding her, Alphard more vehemently and Animo had taken to returning to her dormitory during dinners. Abraxas had instilled a sort of silent pact that they were to pretend as though the holidays never occurred, even though Animo was anxious to ask him about his father. The bruises under his eyes told her enough. And Tom—

Her spiral of thoughts ended as Animo heard a few muffled voices from within the common room, dulcet tones that she recognized instantly. Her heart betrayed her, lightening at the familiar voices after several days of none but her thoughts to accompany her.

"I have a lead on Flamel, my lord."

Abraxas's polished murmur hung in the air as Animo pressed herself against the stone stairwell, holding her breath.

"Excellent," Tom's drawl was as uncaring as always, not a note of pleasantry to accompany his approval. "I will have Rosier tail him over Easter. His father is a distant relative. Perhaps he can give us further insight."

There was a slight pause as Abraxas hesitated, clearly uncertain. "I don't know if Rosier—"

"Do you have a disagreement?"

Animo peered her head around the bend, just enough to watch Tom's nostrils flare with impatience.

"No, my lord," there was a resigned disapproval in Abraxas's tone, something the Malfoy heir usually hid. Yet Tom seemed unbothered. There was a certain air of distraction about his posture, as if his mind was elsewhere.

The Head Boy spun around swiftly, his high cheekbones emphasized by the reflection of the green flames. His tense shoulders were a clear indication of his dismissal, but still Abraxas lingered. A slight furrow in the skin between the pale boy's brow interrupted his clear pallor.

"My lord," Abraxas swallowed once, as if summoning his courage before releasing the last of his statement in a hurried succession. "What are your current plans for the girl?"

Tom jerked his head back, his eyes glinting darkly. "What do you mean, Malfoy?"

Animo inched her way closer to the common room, not breathing at all. Her fingers shuddered slightly with the effort of her strained movements.

"Earlier you spoke of your intent to use Wallis for our plans," Abraxas's tone was numbed and his eyes dull. However, Animo was certain this was simply a defense against Tom's ruthless cunning. "To find out what she's hiding and use it against her. But after what I have seen over the holidays—"

"I would speak your next words carefully," Tom loomed over Abraxas, his shadow darkening the boy's face. Despite their similar height, Tom's presence dwarfed that of his companion's "I fear that you forget your place."

A rather irritated grimace passed over Abraxas's features, but he simply pursed his lips into a thin line. His mouth was rendered near invisible.

However, Tom was not to be cajoled and he leaned even closer, despite Abraxas's silent surrender. "Perhaps Wallis has wormed her way under your skin?" He waited for a response, his nostrils flared, "filled your head with her lofty nonsense. I assure you," Tom scoffed, flicking a ringed hand and dousing out the emerald flame beneath the marble mantle, "whatever you saw over break meant nothing. Wallis is simply a means to an end."