Masquerade- Tom Riddle Fanfiction

Cold-Blooded

"Your tears are weakness!" the words seared through me, as I was thrown at the wall; Mark's face contorted with such fury. His rough hands grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him, but I turn away from those eyes. There is too much hatred in them. Another slap brings me down. Blood. I tasted it like cursed salt at the corner of my lips. "You think crying is going to do anything?" he taunted, launching a kick at my abdomen. He could have used Crucio, he could have tortured me with magic. But there was more fun to do it physically. "Your mother is dead, Adeline," he hissed, "--and she is never coming back. It's all because of you; you and your weakness."

"No--" the word was a bitter triumph and my downfall, "--he killed her. Grindelwald killed her, and you know it--" I spoke, but was cut off as he grabbed me by my hair.

"You are not worthy to speak that name," he snarled, "--you will learn, Adeline, slowly and painfully that you will be on your knees to him. You will never get out of this hell otherwise. Swear your loyalty."

I looked up. A new emotion. Defiance. "Death before loyalty," I said with a bloody smile, remembering my mother's last words. His lips tightened.

A new hatred in his eyes. "So be it," he said, raising his wand, "but why die when I can make you wish to kill yourself? Crucio!"

Pain erupted in my veins.

Over and over again.

No stopping ever again.

I remembered all of this. Waking nightmares, now even more frequent. I didn't curse Mark without reason. I touched my brand again. It wasn't searing, at least, not yet. I flipped open the book and began my Transfiguration essay. The scratching of the quill was like the scratching of the knife as it descended on the stone; marking each day I was in the prison. I was given a knife as a mercy-- to kill myself and to make sure I didn't succumb to insanity. I had chosen the other path.

An hour later, I had finished all of my homework; placing the books neatly into my book bag. I looked at the clock. I shouldn't go back to bed; I could just stay here. Hours ticked by and my eyes didn't close. Defense mechanism-- it was arising again. Always keeping one eye open before anyone could kill me from behind. I looked around. I needed a walk. Opening the door, I walked through the passage within the barrels. Hogwarts was a place where one could forget how many days they stayed within. The routine was somehow comforting; the classes mildly challenging, and the threat of NEWTs looming over us like a storm cloud. Two months passed by without notice. Halloween had been duly celebrated with the enchanted bats and the carved pumpkins. A smile tugged at my lips. I remember bewitching Professor Spew's wizard cracker so that she received a hat who screamed happy outcomes for the people who she predicted deaths for. It was funny, to say the least, to see her face.

Perhaps I should have worried over my future like any other seventh-year. The truth was eminent. I could never worry about a future that I never had. If I was lucky enough to survive my rebelling against Grindelwald, I would consider it a miracle. Revenge was at the cost of my own life. I fingered the Ring of Dispel; now on a chain around my neck; it's weight comforting. I had tucked the ring securely underneath my robe collar.

I walked towards the Great Hall, and then stopped. Breakfast was being prepared by the House Elves, no doubt. I sat at the Hufflepuff Table as the food began to appear slowly and surely. I hummed a little tune, turning around to see if any students were starting to come. A second later, I saw the unmistakable form of Abraxas Malfoy. He glared at me, as if I would suddenly quaver in fear.