Extreme Unction (Tom Riddle saga)

Chapter 7

“Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely”

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The party turned out to be even more boring than he expected.
Tom placed down his untouched glass.
"You look quite down this evening" Eugenia Jenkins commented with an elegant wave of her hand to attract his attention.
He was more than down. He wished he could be back at home too, away from that annoying play.
"I'm just tired" he used his usual excuse, forcing a little smile at the witch, who stood up and quickly dismissed herself from the other guests. Then she pulled at his shirt "Come, let's have a walk".
Tom wished to be melted to the comfortable armchair so she could not drag him away.
He could guess what she had in mind.
She had been drinking alcoholics more than usual and her eyes and her whole body was sending clear messages about what she wanted.
Tom was totally unexcited and had some plans to indure her to believe what he wanted her to believe, then he would just lock himself into his room. All alone.
He could tell what he was missing. The presence of his wife was something intoxicating, a good intoxication. And her absence was just so heavy that even the air into the castle was unbreathable.
Since she came to the castle to stay, Tom had grown used to having her close enough to know she was safe at any time.
He didn't expect that just a trip out of Hogwarts meant so much agony for him.
Tom gasped for breath, just to see Eugenia placing herself in front of him with prepotence and pushing him against the wall.
She was laughing like a little girl, unable to guess what was actually storming into his mind. She was too blinded by her selfishness.
Her usual strong perfume was clouded by the alcohol that was running through her too exposed body.
She showed even more, blaming it on the heat that she was feeling.
Tom held his breath as she leaned too close. Pushing her away was his only choice if he wanted to get away from that trap.
He felt pain at the idea of how Evelyn would be upset if he let another woman kiss him and touch him. The song, their conversations. His wife always made it clear.
Just like it would be torture for him to imagine her in the naked arms of Fawley.
It became a physical pain.
Tom lowered his head, his eyes resting on his wedding ring, that was reflecting the fire from a near torch.
But the fire was burning for real, until it became a clear alarm.
"Evelyn!" he cried.

His hands pushed Eugenia away, catching her by surprise, so she lost her balance and fell on the floor.
Following his instinct, Tom ran towards the doors, forcing his way through a crowd of people in the corridor who were taken aback by his reaction.
The doors cracked open and finally he could breath the fresh air of the night, that made him realize that he couldn't just run nor apparate.
He was trapped.
The Hogwarts territories became a cage that prevented him from reaching his wife in time.
So he summoned a broom.

Flying didn't seem a quick option anyway.
The borders looked so far away on the horizon.
Tom ducked more on the broom, speeding up. The cold air was like stabbing him with small icy daggers.
But that was nothing compared to the bad smeel that was choking him.
The smell of death.

Tom closed his eyes and focused on his wife. The call had been painful so it meant mortal danger.
He could still save her.
Images from their wedding flashed in his mind.
How he was blinded by Evelyn, by her smile, by her emotions and her tears of happiness.
How a summer storm tried to ruin their day.
How they grabbed each other's hand and left the safe covered party to run under the rain. Evelyn's laugh was all he could hear, everything else was nothing.
That was it meant. It was just the two of them, who became one.

As they stopped under the rain, Tom gaped, letting the pouring rain drench him.
He said the only word that came to his mind, that seemed explaining everything and being more heavy than any other promise.
"Forever".
Evelyn's smile turned more confident as she echoed "Forever".
One single word that sounded like a vow.
The most important vow.