Merope heard the lively chatter grow louder outside. Knowing Tom Riddle Senior would be passing any minute, she jumped out of her seat and ran out into the garden excitedly.
Sure enough, Tom's horse-drawn carriage was approaching. She sighed dreamily as she picked out his handsome face in the crowd.
Morfin Gaunt, watching his sister disdainfully, snuck out of the house from the back, chuckling darkly. "Ah, you stupid girl, staring at the pretty Muggle..." he muttered and flicked his wand at Tom Riddle's face, then retreated back into the bushes.
Instantly, Tom broke out in hives. He clutched his face, looking around frantically. He bellowed something Merope didn't catch.
It was obvious to her that somebody had used magic to cause him to break out in hives, because nobody could do it that fast and suddenly for no reason. She frowned and stepped towards the carriage, her face flushed with exhilaration.
"Hello," she said softly, tentatively, her dull eyes shining.
Tom faced her and she gasped, seeing him up close for the first time. "Have you anything to do with this?" he asked as he gestured at his face. She shook her head, her eyes widening. "All right then, move along now."
Politely she stepped out of his way and darted back into the house, but she still caught the look of annoyance and disgust on his face as he looked at her.
After Morfin and her father were arrested, she felt happier and freer than she'd ever felt before. Dancing around the house, she sang of her love for Tom Riddle.
Soon, after a week or so, she became even more obsessively infatuated with him.
"I must make him love me!" she told herself. "If I don't, I'll die." Merope always felt morose when she watched him passed by, laughing with a beautiful Muggle lady.
She gathered many ingredients from all over the place, set up the cauldron, and started to make Amortentia, grinning slyly. "In the next month, he'll be all mine!"
A few months later, Merope was pregnant with Tom Riddle Senior's child.
Feeding him the strong love potion every day was an exceptionally hard thing to do. She felt guilty for forcing him to love her; she knew that he was in love with the other Muggle. But every time she saw Tom looking at her with nothing short of love in his eyes, she would feel a burst of joy. He was hers now.
"Our child will be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen," promised Tom, smiling.
Merope sighed. "I hope he favours you in your looks," she said, a little bitterly.
He rolled his eyes. "Nonsense. We both know you are much better-looking than I."
Just to make sure, she asked, "Tom, do you love me?"
"I love you more than you could ever know," he said, kissing her hand.
She blushed but almost instantly felt guilty. He would never have said such a thing had he known what he was doing.
This went on for a few weeks, and gradually Merope did not feel bad anymore. Maybe the love potion would make him love her for his whole life now. As she fed him the last of the Amortentia last night, she wondered what would become of them. Would he still love her?
She looked into a grimy mirror and felt pity for herself. Who would fancy a woman like her - plain, boring, dull Merope?
But as she looked at Tom's serene sleeping face, she loved him so much that it hurt to have to keep going with the potion, so she abandoned her rushed attempts to make another one.
Dawn's bleeding rays slowly crept into the clouds, tainting them crimson. Merope smiled at Tom. The Amortentia would have run out by now; it was time for her to see what he really felt. Excited though she was, she couldn't help feeling anxiety nagging as well.
"Good morning, Tom," she murmured softly, kissing him on the cheek.
Tom sat up, groggily rubbing his eyes. "Is it morning already?" he groaned, standing up to stretch. Then he noticed she was sitting to the side, watching him adoringly.
"Who are you?" he yelled, jumping back in fright. "What - what am I doing here with you?"
She stood up slowly, indignation and pain flaring up in her eyes. "I - I'm Merope Gaunt, the mother of your child. You're here because you love me."
"Me? Love you?" he laughed derisively, causing her to flinch. "I'd never love someone like you!"
Hurt, offended, and bewildered, she took a step back. "But you're the father of this child," she said quietly.
"I don't care. That's no child of mine."
"You can't say that! It's your child as well as mine!"
"Are you mad?" Tom's handsome features looked menacing as he looked down at her. "I have no child," he said coldly. "And I don't love you." With that, he left the house.
She couldn't help breaking down in sobs. It was a fatal mistake, but she couldn't go on feeding him that potion! Stupid Muggle, she thought. How dare he belittle her? She was a witch with more power than he could ever dream of! With his departure, she slowly became depressed and hated herself increasingly each day. The only thing that kept her sane was the thought of her newfound hate for non-magic folk. Finally, she lost the will to live and began to perish.
A seed of contempt for Muggles was securely planted in Tom Riddle Junior's heart.