i am lord voldemort • Tom Riddle

XV:

In the Chamber, far away from any eavesdropping ears in the only place Tom deemed safe enough for their conversation, Tom told Ophelia about his plan and what he'd learned from Slughorn. He sent the Basilisk away when she expressed in no uncertain to terms that she would not set so much as a foot in the bathroom again if the serpent was within a hundred yards. He wasn't sure what he expected—jubilation, maybe?— but, as she listened to him, a most peculiar expression overtook her soft features. A sweet sort of sadness that not even the most skillfully painted portrait in the castle could hope to replicate.

"Then," he concluded, "if I split my soul, Grindelwald could never dream of beating me. I could keep you safe, as long as you remain by my side."

She shook her head slowly. "No, Tom."

"What do you mean, 'No'?" he snapped.

How could she not see the brilliance of it? It would solve all their problems. So long as he couldn't die, he could always bring her back. They would both always be safe.

"I mean forget about this idea. I forbid you from going any further."

"You forbid me?" he challenged, taking a step forward. "Not that you could stop me, but do tell. Why?"

She pushed herself off the head of the striking snake statue where she'd sat herself, criss-cross, and met him in the middle of the room before answering.

"Simple." She raised a hand to his chest and pressed it softly over his heart. "I like your soul just the way it is. There's no force in this world strong enough to convince me it's worth risking it. Not even my uncle."

For once, Tom was at a loss for words. Warmth seemed to spread from her palm, washing gently over him. He raised a hand if his own and wrapped it carefully around her wrist, keeping her hand where it was.

"And what about you?" he asked finally.

"It's taken me a long time to figure it out, arguably a bit too long, but I don't need a protector, not you, and not Dumbledore, not really. If it would keep you safe and whole, I'd leave Hogwarts without looking back and gladly rejoin my uncle right now." Her fingers curled closed on his chest and he was certain she could feel his heart beating. "What I really needed, when I came to this school, was a friend, even if I didn't know it. I found that."

Grindelwald, who was foolish enough to let her slip away once, would never get her again, Tom thought. She was his. He knew then would never let anyone else have her.

"Promise me..." His grip tightened on her arm. "Swear to me, you won't go back, no matter what happens."

She looked momentarily up into his eyes, then moved to avert her gaze like she always did, but he lifted his other hand to her chin, tilting it back up.

"You shouldn't have to hide your eyes," he murmured. "From anyone, and especially not from me."

She seemed to have stopped breathing. "And you shouldn't have to hide who you truly are."

He didn't tell her she was wrong. He knew who he was, and it wasn't pretty. He wasn't kind. He didn't balk at the suffering of others. He didn't particularly care about the consequences of his actions if he got what he wanted. But he did care about her. She made him better, she made him even want to be better.

She saw straight through him and, for whatever reason, what she saw didn't disgust her.

"I'll make you a deal."

Tom quirked his head, keeping her pinned with his gaze. "What kind of deal?"

She swallowed. "Promise me you won't split your soul and I'll promise I won't go back."

"An Unbreakabel Vow?"

She laughed lightly. "No... nothing so extreme. I trust you."

"You really shouldn't," he said, gravitating closer.

"I'm willing to take that chance," Ophelia said wryly, her lips finally pulling out of their sad tilt into a full smile.

That was all it took.

Before he could second guess himself, or even consciously make the decision at all, his lips found hers.

A mistake. He knew it was a mistake. They both knew.

Still, neither pulled away.

His hand fell from her wrist, wrapping around her hip possessively. She tasted like a sweet poisoned wine.

If she was a poison, what did that make him? Maybe he was the poison instead, and she the cure. Maybe he should never have spoken two words to her. Maybe he should have left her alone, let them remain merely two ships passing in the night. It almost would have been easier. But it was too late now. He couldn't let go. He never could give up one of his possessions, even as a child.

"I promise," he whispered into the torch-lit silence. There was nothing else to say, nothing else that would mean anything.

"Then so do I."

III

As the basilisk raised it's massive head, lifting Tom out of the Chamber, Tom was too distracted to listen for any noises as he reopened the entrance to climb out. Ophelia had left about an hour earlier, confused and slightly flustered. Tom stayed behind to clear his head and rationalize his thinking, not that it worked. Eventually, he gave up and just left. His head was too busy buzzing with thoughts of what had happened and even more with what hadn't happened to register the sniffles permeating from one of the stalls, until a small, enraged voice called out, "Who's there?"

His hesitation only lasted a second, yet it was still a second too long.

"Close!" he hissed fervently in Parseltongue, in spite the of the Basilisk's scaled head still sticking slightly out of the entrance to the pit from raising Tom up.

A latch clicked behind him. "Go aw-"

The basilisk blinked, and Tom realized he'd failed in the most important order. The girl never even finished her sentence before she hit the ground. This time, definitely, Tom knew she wasn't petrified, even before he dropped to her side and his hand numbly felt for a pulse.

By the time the Chamber entrance slid closed behind them, the girl's cheeks, still wet with tears, lost most of their former colour.

There was nothing he could do for her. Each subtle drip from the faucet sounded like thunder and caused his eyes to dart toward the door.

He needed to leave. He could not be found with a dead girl, especially not in a place where he seemingly had no right to be.

After checking he left nothing incriminating behind, he did just that, all the while thinking, How could I have let this happen?