Prologue
July 17th, 1980
She carefully put her baby in the crib, she had just come back from the wizards hospital after staying there for a few days. Her child was weak so after birth the doctors had to tend to her weaknesses.
'It's better to sort them out early on, don't worry, she'll be fine.' They had told the mother.
She looked to the clock, 'you should be home by now...' she sighed and pulled up a stool to sit next to the crib and gaze upon her offspring, the child had fallen asleep after crying the whole journey it was a relief for the mother to hear nothing but the sound of breathing from her beautiful baby girl.
Her partner had wanted a boy, a 'right-hand man' he wanted, 'a girl would be too fragile for my plans,' the plans of staying alive forever. Forever powerful. Forever feared.
Before long the mother had fallen asleep, her arm outstretched towards her babies hand. Hours later there was a knock at the door, or rather a bang.
DSH. DSH.
The woman woke up suddenly and wiped her eyes, looking to the clock and then getting up. She checked on the baby, still sound asleep, and smiled softly.
DSH. DSH.
She sighed, before going to the door, she didn't want to open it but she had to, if they kept knocking whoever it was would break in or wake the baby, or both. She shuddered at the thought of the distressed cries of her child. She opened the door. Hoping to see her lover.
'Pandora, how are you feeling?' Her best friend clutched her hands, 'could you let me in? It's freezing outside.'
Pandora nodded and reached for her wand, with a flick she turned the fire on. 'I wasn't expecting guests tonight Cissy...Tom's out.'
'I can't believe you still call him Tom.'
Pandora shrugged, 'it's a force of habit, would you like to see her?'
Cissy nodded, as the two walked towards the crib, 'have you named her yet?'
'No, I'm waiting for him to go back, so we can do it together you know...Narcissa?'
The other witch looked up from the crib, 'yes?'
Pandora bit her lip, 'was Lucius by your side when Draco was born?'
Narcissa looked back to the crib awkwardly, 'yes...yes he was, and...well...Vol- ...Tom wasn't happy with him from what I heard.'
The new mother sat down. 'No, he wouldn't have... he's changed since school, he used to be ...well not as extreme as this...'
'Hey, don't worry Ann, he's still with you isn't he? He's not left for Bellatrix yet?'
Pandora laughed, 'that's not what I'm afraid of Narcissa.'
There was a gush of wind and a tall man in a long black cloak, hood up was now stood in the room. 'We weren't expecting visitors, Narcissa.'
The guest stood, 'No, I'm sorry my dark lord, I'll be leaving now.' She looked to Pandora, 'I'll see you again soon.' She then apparated.
'Is she here?' The man took his cloak off and threw it over a chair.
Pandora nodded, 'she's asleep right now...' she sat down again and stroked her baby's head.
The man stopped when he looked upon his child, 'she's...'
'Beautiful, isn't she Tom? And she's ours,' Pandora looked up to her partner, who was silently looking at the child.
He stroked Pandora's hair, 'yes, she is,' he put his hand around her shoulders, 'have you named her yet?'
'No, I thought...thought that I'd wait for you.'
Tom thought, 'the doctors... they didn't know who you were did they?' He asked suddenly.
'No.' Pandora looked down, that's what she hated most about this situation she had on her hands, there were so many secrets, so many things that couldn't be known to outsiders to his cult.
He patted her back, 'good girl...so, a name for our little one...' he smiled softly. A smile Pandora knew too well that no-one else knew. A smile of genuine affection.
'I have a few thoughts...urm, Kaeryn, Megaera, Tabitha, Aveline...' Pandora looked up to Tom. He looked carefully at the child, 'Deziree, Ermintrude...'
Tom looked at her strangely as Pandora looked at him deadpan, 'I like the last one best,' she said, before cracking up.
'Funny.' He sighed, 'hmm... Kaeryn I think.'
Pandora smiled, 'Kaeryn?'
He nodded, 'hey darling, I'm your father... may you forever be protected.'
The mother smiled and took her boyfriend's hand. 'I'm glad you're finally here...'
'Me too Annie, me too.' He pulled Pandora up to her feet and into a long, close embrace. Pandora could smell blood on his clothes, a stench she had gotten used to, 'I do miss you when I'm-'
Pandora put her finger to his lips, 'I know, I miss you too.'
He smiled and kissed her softly. Pandora traced a line on his back before placing her hands in his dirty matted hair, and kissed him back. She withdrew, 'you need a bath,' she smiled, 'she should be asleep for a while...'
'I suppose I do.'
They got into the bath together, Pandora carefully sponging Tom's back, massaging his shoulders every once in a while. 'Hey... Tom...'
'Yes, dear?'
Pandora paused and rested her head on his shoulder, looking to him, 'you were gone a week...'
Tom looked down to her.
'I mean, I get...well everything, and don't deny that I do... it's just...you weren't there when I was giving birth... the doctors were your followers and you could have drunk polyjuice potion,' she looked down.
He turned around, 'I had important meetings with some people. I was thinking of you if it helps,' he rested his rough hand on her cheek.
Pandora pulled her legs up, 'it doesn't because you weren't...you forget that I know you better than anyone.'
Tom put his hands on her shoulders, 'I'm sorry then, it was important.'
'More important than the birth of your child?'
His grip tightened, 'I'm sorry, what else can I say Pandora?'
She stared at him, '...nothing, you're right.'
He pulled her into a kiss, 'hey, I've been thinking, how does Pandora Riddle sound to you?'
'Who would marry us?'
'Me.'
'Romantic, Thomas,' she chuckled, leaning back, 'sure, why not?'
'Not the reply I was expecting.'
'Fine, oh yes, lord Voldemort, I can't think of anything that would make me happier! Is that better?'
'Much,' he smiled and kissed her, 'thank you.'
Pandora ran her hands through her hair, 'who are we inviting?'
'My closest followers, and your friends,' the two kissed passionately before the loud sound of a baby crying disturbed the two.
Pandora jumped out of the bath and quickly dried and dressed herself before rushing to her child. Tom stretched out in the bath and closed his eyes.
October 27th, 1981
A year passed. The two had married a week after he proposed, Pandora had hoped that this would mean the start of their relationship being like it was when they were younger, but throughout the year Tom grew stronger and Pandora grew tired of waiting for him to come home and help with the baby.
Pandora was rocking Kaeryn, shhing her to try and get the child back to sleep. It had been like this all night, Pandora suspected her child was having a repeated nightmare. Perhaps she had awoken when Tom came home once and he had one of his tempers... Pandora shook the thought out of her head.
A picture caught her eye as she wondered the dark house with her child in arms, slowly falling asleep. She quickly put Kaeryn in her cot and then went to look at the picture again. It was hidden underneath other old photographs that she hadn't got round to sorting through yet. She picked up the first one, a ragged old man, the second... a handsome young lad, barely out of school. She turned the picture over, 'Regulus Black...the Blacks were related to Narcissa's family...'
She sat down on the bed, looking closer at the photo, for a teenager... no older than 19 probably, he looked weighed down. Worried and stressed. His hands were behind his back as he stared hard at the camera, an old house-elf by his side.
'That's the elf he used for one of his...' she looked at the boys face again, 'he's so young...'
Pandora sighed and put the picture down, unconcerned with the rest. She couldn't help but thinking about the boy. A mere boy was a follower...but so was she, and she and Tom were just children then.
She lay down on the bed, putting everything into perspective. Her entire life with Tom had been partially her pretending. As an orphan, she had the availability to lie about her family. She had told everyone she was a pure-blood, when in fact she was a half-blood...and her father was a squib so effectively she was muggle born as her father didn't have magic powers... she hated it when she was younger, despite how it didn't actually affect her since she had never met her parents she felt dirty...now she felt guilty for her thoughts.
Pandora closed her eyes for a second before Tom apparated before her. She no longer recognised as who she had fallen in love with, she took a second to register it was him before forcing a thin smile, 'Hello Tom.'
'Why don't you ever call me Voldemort?' He hissed slightly.
Pandora sat up and shuffled back, 'because you're Tom to me, I fell in love with Tom and I don't want to lose him...you've never brought it up before.'
He grunted slightly before sitting on the bed, 'how is our dear Kaeryn?'
'Asleep, finally, I think she misses her father,' she looked up to Tom.
'Yes... probably,' he touched Pandora's leg gently, Pandora winced and jerked back.
Tom frowned, 'what's wrong?'
'...you're hardly here anymore; I'd appreciate some help with the raising of our child.' She looked at him, staring into his eyes before realising that when they stared back at her there was nothing there anymore.
'Do you even know who I am? What I'm trying to achieve?'
'Of course I bloody well know! I know you better than any of your followers!' Pandora raised her voice.
Tom stood up, 'Not anymore Pandora.'
'No, even now, even after all that change that has come to you over the years, I probably know you better than yourself...you're scared you'll be a bad father to her...' she lowered her voice on the second part.
Her husband looked at her then left the room.
'Don't walk away from me Tom Riddle! Don't treat me like I don't matter to you anymore!' Pandora followed him into the baby's room, she gulped.
'I can't raise her, my true wish is power and raising a child gets in the way.'
'Then what about our marriage. Our relationship, can't you try for that and her?'
Silence followed and Tom turned around, 'I cannot, Pandora. I feel sorry for her as our child now, I was overcome with joy when I saw her but now only pity. She is not a pure blood due to my stupid mother, and we both know now that I have not the time nor patience for family affairs.' He sniffed.
'...she wouldn't be a pure blood even if your father was of magic blood...' Pandora said. Realising what her husband was trying to say, 'my mother was a muggle, and my father a squib...'
Tom's face turned from pity to anger. He stared at his wife and took a step towards her, 'what?'
'In effect, I was a mudblood, of course, I didn't want to say, I was ashamed of my heritage.'
'You lied to me...?'
Pandora nodded, 'and to everyone else. Please forgive me for keeping this from you, but-'
'You lied?!' He shouted, causing the baby to wake with a start, she started crying and wailing. Waving her tiny arms and legs around.
'Thomas, please...the baby...' Pandora turned her back on her husband.
He grabbed her shoulder, 'you were the one thing I loved equally to power. You betrayed me,' he spun her around and took out his wand.
Pandora's eyes widened as she tried to fight out of his grip, she had left her own wand in the bedroom, 'Tom, please...'
Tears fell from his eyes, he wasn't sobbing but he was crying, of anger or hatred, Pandora wasn't sure. His mouth turned into a sneer, 'I hate liars...despise them,' he raised his wand.
Pandora let her own tears fall, 'Tom please... can't we do this away from the baby...'
'Avada-'
'Tom!' Pandora begged.
'Kedavra!' There was a green flash and Pandora's body fell limp on the floor. The baby still crying in the background, Tom slipped to the floor and held Pandora's body. He looked to the crib and cast a spell to help the baby sleep, he realised that he would have to do what both the child's parents did and put her in an orphanage.
He slipped Pandora's wedding ring off her finger and put it in his cloak pocket, standing up he dropped her body on the ground and picked up the child, swiftly leaving the house in which they lived to take her to a nearby orphanage.
'Goodbye Kaeryn, until we meet again.'
The Beginning
July 1991
