OF SERPENT AND ANGEL ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎➝ tom riddle ¹ | ✓ |

FORTY-ONE

The door burst open, much too violently for it to have been Tom. Eliza's eyes instinctively snapped toward the sound and widened in surprise when Thaddeus barged into her room. "What are -?"

But the question wasn't even fully formed until he already answered it. "I'm getting you out of here," he announced, walking to her and pulling her up, hurriedly yet gently.

So great was her shock that they were already by the top of the dark staircase until she opened her mouth again. "But -"

Again, he broke her off before she could finish. "He isn't here," Thaddeus said, evidently wanting to sound confident but his eyes still glanced around the dark hall constantly as they made their way down the stairs, as if he too feared Tom may be hiding in the shadows and would step out at any moment. "He said he had business for the night, told me to guard you like he always does. But I'm not, I'm not going to this time."

Her heart beat increased, a tiny flicker of hope ventured to light somewhere in the attic of her mind that had been flooded in macabre. She knew she could never get out on her own. But now she had help, help from someone Tom trusted. If she ever had a chance, this would be it.

Thaddeus's pace was too quick for her frail and senile body to keep up with and she tripped, awkwardly falling down the last few steps. But before she could fully fall over, Thaddeus had already caught her.

Without hesitation, he picked her up, carrying her with one arm under her legs and the other supporting her upper back. They could move much faster now that her limits weren't slowing them down and were soon outside the mansion. Thaddeus quickened his strides, nearly breaking into a run as they rushed down the perilously long dirt path toward the iron gates.

They finally reached the dark metal bars and Eliza squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see them not open, she wanted to prepare herself for the downfall. Her heart drummed against her ribcage painfully quickly. They wouldn't get out. What if it was all a trick? Another twisted mind-game? Maybe he wasn't trying to help her at all.

But soon she heard the low creaking of the gates being pushed open and felt Thaddeus continue walking forward, and her pale green eyes flew open.

It was as if all the pain she had gone through in the past ... she didn't know how long, was suddenly erased, the ceaseless ache in her mind and body vanished. They stood a few feet out of the manor grounds and the world suddenly seemed a little brighter. She couldn't stop the small laugh of victory that escaped past her chapped lips.

She was out. Truly away from his grasp. She couldn't believe it. Even if she would be arrested, even if she would be sent to Azkaban to rot, she didn't care. Even that was better than being in the grasp of Tom Riddle.

Thaddeus was trying to get hold of his wand which he had stowed inside his robe pocket without placing her on the ground and for a moment she had to hang onto his shoulders as he momentarily let go with one of his arms. Then, his ash wand was grasped in his fingers and his left arm returned to its place below her shoulder blades. She felt him turn on the spot and prepared herself for the pressure, for the 'being sucked through a straw' sensation that always came with apparition.