The Girl from Azkaban ~ Tom Riddle (18+)

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕾𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖞-𝕱𝖎𝖛𝖊

~✧~

"I-", she stammered. Struck and taken by his words, she lacked all power of verbal expression, "I don't know what to say to that," Taraphina stammered out.

The pale grey eyes looked up at her with hope.

"I hardly know you at all and I don't know if I can really trust you. Words can be empty only their actions show who they really are."

"Then tell me what to do to make you believe me."

"Let me look into your memory so I know you are telling the truth."

He sighed, "My memories were the price I had to pay for Charlotte's experience. They decay faster than they used to and once taken they are gone forever."

Taraphina remained silent, "Then I cannot believe a word you say." Before she began to utter the first word, she did not know what an effort it took to get that sentence past her lips. The emotions coming from her biological father were strong and seemed honest. There was nothing like what her previous father had ever given. It was too good to be true. She really wanted to believe it, but knew parents were the best actors after an argument.

She knew him too little to get involved and go against Tom. Even though he might not love her, she knew he felt more than sympathy for her too. She was on a level that he would call love, were he capable of feeling that emotion. He had saved and cared for her too many times to forget all that would take more than a few words.

The illusion of love seemed seductive, yet too far away for her to grasp.

Her father rose and looked down at her again. Before she knew it, she was caught in a tight embrace. Her gaze went to her mother's portrait and her father's as well.

"I am Sorry," were the words where she lost it and sob after sob left her throat. She felt like she had needed that hug for ages. All the emotions that had accumulated she could now let out of her body in the form of tears. The strength she always tried to feign left her now, but still she did not feel weak. She felt strong, thanks to the person next to her, unconditional love she had never thought possible from him greeted her, but still she forced herself to doubt. Heart and mind desired two different things. Still, she enjoyed the moment as much as she could.

The door fell open and an all too familiar voice greeted her ear.

Torn as she was, she couldn't help but fall right into another embrace.

The words 'I love you' registered in her mind nonetheless.

The tears continued to fall as she was finally able to let herself fall against the strong chest she had missed all this long time.

"I am here my love", he would say to calm her down, but did little to calm her nerves.

They all three didn't dare to say a world according to the tensed situation.

"You trust me," Tom said questioningly and testifying at the same time as he gently pushed her back from him by the shoulder after another moment.

Her eyes spoke before she could find words and it worried him. His brow furrowed gently as he continued to stare into her glassy green irises.

"What have you done?" he asked louder, turning away from the witch before him.

"Nothing, except tell her the truth."

"The truth, of course," Tom repeated, dropping his gaze to the floor briefly with an amused smile before raising it again, "Then hopefully you told her how you kept her friends trapped in the dungeon for a week without enough to eat let alone drink. Me included, and gave me some nice scars to boot."