Holy water cannot help you now Holy water cannot help you now Seven devils all around you
A thousand armies couldn't keep me out
I don't want your money
I don't want your crown
See I've come to burn
Your kingdom down
See I've come to burn your kingdom down
And no rivers and no lakes, can put the fire out
I'm gonna raise the stakes; I'm gonna smoke you out
Seven devils in my house
See they were there when I woke up this morning
I'll be dead before the day is done
-Seven Devils, Florence and the Machine
She waited until the two men had left. One of them had been an older gentleman, in his nineties she suspected as she watched him leave the other man, or more precisely a boy, no older than seventeen. Once both had left she stepped forward, her feet made a clicking sound as the scenery about them changed to fit her imaginings.
The train station seemed to engorge itself for a moment before changing into a high arched church, the whiteness of the walls seeming to infect her very judgment. She crouched on the floor and looked at the thing.
It was white, pale to an extreme, with no nose and red veins decorating it randomly. It looked like a misshaped fetus that had never quite finished development.
"My...you've gotten into quite the predicament." The woman observed, as she pulled the thing out into the open, so she could get a better look at it. The things lips seemed to curl at the sight of her, teeth bared disgustingly. She ignored this as she fanned her finely manicured hands across the thing, enveloping it.
"How about this...as I recall I owe you a favor, yes?" She said musingly as she pulled her hands back, the thing now wrapped in some sort of cloth, so as to hide its hideousness. "How about we turn back the clocks, eh?" She questioned happily, clapping her hands childishly as her teeth shined. "Although there is one thing...I'll be there of course, keeping track of you. Couldn't have a repeat of this nonsense." She said gesturing toward the thing. "Oh and of course..." Here her eyes hardened as she looked at the thing. "This time, you don't get to lose."
Xxxxxxxxxx
Time has always passed strangely. Particularly for Theresa, part of the job description she supposed. Theresa of course, had done nothing when the thing on the white tiled floor began to tremble violently, all common modesty forgotten as it convulsed. A red fluid streaming from its mouth. As the thing stopped suddenly, growing far to still Theresa smiled.
"Time to go." She whispered as she raised her hand, snapping her fingers gently. And well...time did the exact opposite of what it is required by nature to do. It went back.
The church with its high arches was gone and was instead replaced with the white fluttering of snow. Theresa blinked and looked down at herself. Content that she was dressed appropriately enough for a light bout of snow, she moved to the left and snatched a newspaper from a nearby stoop.
"December 31st, 1926..." She read aloud. She looked up as she heard the sound of a woman's pained voice, singing gently. Theresa approached the sound with very little caution. Merope Gaunt had something that she wanted. More specifically, a someone.
Xxxxxxxxxx
She got there a moment too late.
The baby was the only one still breathing.
She took the child from the woman's cold arms as she admired the noble features that adorned the boy's face. His dark eyes studied her with little amusement as she carried the baby to the orphanage he was destined to hate.
With a little persuasion and a flicker of unseen fingers, the child had exchanged hands and the baby was placed into his makeshift home.
"What's his name?" Asked Ms. Wool, as she shifted the baby in her arms as it seemed intent to keep its eyes trained on Theresa. Theresa scratched the side of her face in confusion before smiling slightly embarrassed.
"Ah yes, it's Tom...Tom Marvolo Riddle...Junior that is, after his father."
"That's a lovely name."
Theresa gave a nod of acknowledgement as she turned and made her way down the cold steps of the orphanage. Almost instantly a shrill wale came from the baby whose name was now Tom. His greedy hands reached for Theresa, demanding. She didn't look back until Tom had been taken back inside. She smirked as she leaned against a railing.
"No need to fret my lord. I am yours until the very end."
