Power

Chapter Fifteen

Drink this. Sera said to the mangled, distorted being before her.
The monster drank it.
Remove yourself from my presence, Peter Pettigrew.
Peter exited.
Sera blinked, and she was looking at the Tom Riddle of the past.
No more red eyes, no more slitted nostrils. He had hair, now.
He was beautiful.
You'll still see the creature when you look in the mirror.
"Who needs a mirror?" He smirked, rising from his chair.
Not you.
"It's fitting, as my soul is that mangled."
Yes.
"Seraphina Riddle. Allow me to kiss you."
Permission granted.
He kissed her, softly and gently.
"Permission to make up for lost time?"
Permission granted.
He pushed her against the wall.

Sirius is at home.
"Pardon?"
My nephew. He's with Sis--Athena.
"Of course he is."
What does that mean?
"Nothing. You know how I disapprove of him."
He's a good man, Tom.
"Better than me?" He asks, as a joke.
Yes. He didn't make Horcruxes and kill people against his wife's better judgment.
"But if I hadn't made Horcruxes, I'd be dead."
You wouldn't be if you hadn't killed James Potter. She shot him a glare.
Am I really going to get that lecture fourteen years later?
Yes. I couldn't give it to you before, but I sure as hell can now.

Sirius Black was scared of his aunt.
He was terrified of her.
He couldn't understand how she could do all the evil she does and treat him and Sister so kindly.
Sister was sick a while ago, and Aunt Sera had let Sister sit on her lap and fall asleep. She'd hummed lullabies. When Sirius was younger and had been upset about his parents or anything of the sort, Aunt Sera would make him tea, and hug him, and tell him she loved him. She used to read him bedtime stories, and she did the same for Sister.
Now she was taking over the world. She had all of England under her thumb. She was working on China and the United States. She was starting with the world powers.
She killed people, tortured them. She filleted them alive.
He could make excuses for Tom Riddle. His uncle had made Horcruxes, and he had very little soul in him. That would enable anybody to do anything.
His aunt didn't have that. She had her soul intact, and she was far worse than her husband had ever been.
And then the two most powerful, dangerous people, one of whom was supposed to be dead, walked through the front door.

We're home. Sera said as she walked into her home.
She hadn't felt anxiety since she killed Isaiah Thornpike, but now, allowing her daughter to meet her father, she could barely breathe.
Nevertheless, she refused to show it and marched into her home.
"We?" Her daughter asked.
"Sister, wait. Stay behind--" Brother began.
Athena had, apparently, already darted forward to see her company.
"Who...?" She skidded to a stop and looked at her mother. "M-Mum..?"
Sirius ran into the room.
This is your father.
"I thought he was dead."
"I'm not dead." Tom said, stepping around Seraphina. "Hello, Athena. Your mother said you were beautiful, but she didn't say the half of it."
"Don't touch her." Sirius said as Tom stepped forward.
Tom took a purposeful breath. Seraphina...
It's okay, Brother. Sera said.
"No, it isn't. Tell Sister everything. Tell her every fucking detail of the people you've both killed and tortured."
"W-What?" Athena asked, turning to her brother. "What?"
"I'm sorry, Aunt Sera, but you're more of a monster than Tom ever was."
"Excuse me?" Tom asked.
"Your father's Lord Voldemort." Sirius told Sister. "Your mother's the one behind all of the murder going on."
"What?" Athena asked again.
"Tom Riddle." Brother pointed at Tom. "He's Lord Voldemort. Your mum's behind all of this bullshit that's been happening. You remember how your friend's family was brutally murdered a couple months ago? That was your mum. She organized that."
Sirius. Seraphina said quietly.
He didn't look at her, because he knew that if he did, he would regret saying anything and he would stop. But he needed Athena out of here, and away from them, away from the monsters.
"Sister? Sister, are you okay?" Brother asked.
Athena grabbed onto his arm. "B-Brother, I want to go." She said faintly.
Sister? Her mother asked worriedly, stepping forward.
"S-Stay away from me. B-Brother, take m-me to your house. Please."
Sirius apparated the two of them without another word.
Tom looked at Sera.
I'm going to go on a walk. She said curtly.
May I join?
No. Don't speak to me.
She had no reason to be angry with her husband. He hadn't done anything wrong.
By the time she returned, she had come up with a plan.
Let me talk to them. She told Tom.
Fine, Sera.
She apparated to her nephew's house and knocked on the door instead of just stepping inside.
Sirius opened it with his wand out. "Get the hell out of--"
Obliviate. Sera said so that he couldn't hear it.
"Hey, Aunt Sera." He smiled, hugging her.
Hey, sweetheart. May I come in?
"Sure."
Obliviate. She said the instant she laid eyes on her daughter.
"Hey, Mum." Athena said perkily, standing up off the couch and practically tackling her mother.
Seraphina sat them down and gave them some fabricated memories of Tom being involved in their lives.
Tom at the Platform on Athena's first year, Tom hexing Orion when he snapped at Sirius, Tom comforting Athena when she and one of her boyfriends broke up.
They both came home with her.
Athena ran and hugged her father just as she had hugged her mother. "Daddy! You're home! How was your trip?"
Tom glanced at his wife, but knew enough to go along with whatever was happening. "It was good, sweetheart. It's good to be back."
She kissed his cheek. "I love you. I missed you."
"You too, darling."