tmr/hg; salemwizardtrials!au
and think of me
"Let them burn."
"I love them. I can't let them die."
He looks incredulously at her. "These are the people that left you for dead, Hermione. Not because you were but because they wanted to believe that you were. They don't care about you. They never will."
"You don't understand love, Tom."
She looks resigned and condescending and he doesn't like it, not one bit. "Listen to me," he growls, "they deserve everything they are going to get. They showed the Muggles magic. They must deal with the consequences of their actions. Love doesn't mean letting people get away with things they don't deserve."
Hermione looks at him and frowns. He tries not to feel bad for her and it works. "You're insensitive. You will never understand, you know. Never. Some people are worth it."
Tom doesn't give her a response. He draws out his wand and whispers a quiet Imperio on the Muggle man next to the bonfire. The bulky figure immediately walks over to Harry Potter and picks him up like a rag doll. Ronald Weasley comes soon after. The wizards are both already streaked with soot and dried tears.
Hermione screams when they get thrown into the flames, while Tom stands impassive as he observes. After about thirty seconds, he stands back and looks at her. "They're dead."
She rages and screams more, streams of water falling down her face. When she stops, out of breath, and falls onto the rocky ground, he leans down besides her.
"Quiet," he whispers, "or you might be next."