Happy New Year everybody! I don't know how many hours are left over where you live. In Canada, there is approximately 9 hours left before 2011. I'm going to make the most of what's left of 2010 and...do nothing :P Hope you guys have just as much fun.
Concerning "His Penumbra"...I'm really enjoying writing it because of the challenge it consist of. I never thought I would have so much trouble getting into the heads of a none-magical Bellatrix and Tom. It's surprisingly difficult. Being wizards is such an important part of both of their personalities. They consider themselves superior because of their magical heritage. Strip them of that and they're not at all the same. So I'm trying to remodel them as muggles. It's hard. The muggle-Tom Riddle in my mind is a brilliant psychopath with a superiority complex. Muggle-Bellatrix is a self-centered over-achiever with deep insecurities. I apologize if that's not the way you see them. Hopefully you'll still like the story.
Thanks for the great reviews Inkfire! You know I love you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
October 3rd 2011
6 p.m.
I've seen him at school but he doesn't react to my presence. He looks at me as if we have never spoken. We're just classmates again. It's almost like last night never happened. I had to look back to last night's page just to confirm my memories and even that hasn't convinced me…
Things were exciting for a moment. There was an explosion in my life and everything was just so thrilling, so frightening. For once I could have something that would have made this stupid diary interesting. For once I could have a real secret to keep from the world. But I blew it…
6:45 p.m.
I've just reread my last passage and I have to rectify something quickly before I begin to question my sanity. I am in no way interested in Tom Riddle's psychopathic offer and I will never consider such an odd idea. Why on earth would I need some freak telling me what to do? He should be locked up. Maybe I'll tell father…
11:15 p.m.
"I can fill the emptiness."
I wonder what he meant by that.
1:00 a.m.
Maybe it's worth a try…
xxx
Bellatrix had never been to a bar, she had never been out drinking with anyone before. The lack of friends was one of the key reasons. Another was the firm belief that bars were dirty havens for perverts and psychopaths, and Bellatrix was neither. She had plenty of alcohol in her parents' liquor cabinet and she wasn't about to sacrifice her dignity for a cheap thrill.
Yet there she was, sitting in the corner of a dark, questionable bar with Tom Riddle. The bar was dark, reeked of liquor and looked just as bad. A single bartender stood behind the counter, under the dim light, rhythmically wiping a glass with a filthy rag. A couple men sat together at the bar counter, drunkenly humming an 80's song with beer bottles in hand. Besides them, the bar was completely empty. The table they sat at was covered in a sticky substance and had pieces of half-eaten peanuts scattered about the surface. Tom sat across from her, on a rickety old chair, with a beer bottle in hand that he hadn't touched since their arrival. He was talking coolly about one of their university classes and the teacher they both despised while Bellatrix sipped her own beer, stifling a repulsed face whenever the liquor touched her tongue. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought the bartender was serving them cat piss.
Tom finally placed his bottle on the table, leaned back in the chair and looked at Bellatrix seriously. The young woman's heart sped up. She could feel that he was getting to the true reason for their outing.
"You're wondering what we're doing here, aren't you?" He spoke, staring into her eyes as if he had complete access to her deepest thoughts. Bellatrix stared back, keeping her face impassive, refusing to give him an inch. She said nothing.
Tom smiled, if only just a little.
"You feel strange, don't you? Doing something like this; so out of the ordinary. You're afraid but you love it."
Bellatrix laughed, ignoring the knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
"Like you know what I'm really thinking. For all you know, I'm thinking of the best way to get rid of you without hurting your male-ego."
It felt strange, challenging him in such a way. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with the whole situation. She shouldn't have gone. She should be at home finishing her report and getting an early night's sleep.
This man, this…Tom Riddle, wasn't normal. She could tell. The way his eyes remained indifferent to emotions. The way those dark mirrors reflected her own fears with such incredible accuracy. The way he could turn a smile on and off with one simple flick of a switch. The way he knew every thought running through her mind. She should have been afraid and maybe she was a little. But, mostly, she was thrilled.
"You're thinking how odd it is that I know all of this about you. You're wondering if I'm some crazy stalker or just a boy with a crush. You'd be pleased, if that were true. Wouldn't you, Bellatrix? If I…liked you."
"What's this all about?" Bellatrix snapped, eyes narrowing. "Why don't you just tell me instead of acting like a freak?"
Tom chuckled, crossing his long legs and picking up his bottle again. He said nothing, for a long time, just watching the girl.
Bellatrix couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach. Something had changed in him. She knew this with a fierce certainty. She didn't know him. They had never spoken before today. But she could tell the Tom Riddle teachers praised in class wasn't really who he was. He was someone…something much smarter, much darker.
But why did he want her?
"I'm leaving." Bellatrix breathed, grabbing her coat from the adjacent seat and gathering it in her arms.
She did not move. Tom laughed.
"Tell me, Bella…what do you write in that little diary of yours?"
"Nothing that concerns you." She spat, still holding the coat to her chest.
"I'm sure it will after tonight." He smiled, running a finger over the rim of his bottle. "You'll write a lot about me after tonight."
"I'll make sure to mention your obsession with me." She replied, hoping her face matched the coolness in her tone.
Tom chuckled. "Witty Bella…very witty."
He leaned forward, leaning his elbows on the edge of the table, forcing Bellatrix to look at his perfect face, into his eyes, and confront what she found there; the reflection of her own imperfect face.
"Let's play a game, a…bet, if you like."
"I'm not giving you any money."
"Oh this isn't for money. Let's play for…an "I owe you". Those are always useful."
Bellatrix frowned, unconsciously dropping the coat back on the chair. She never tore her eyes away from his.
"What do you want to bet?" She murmured.
"Let's see…" Riddle sighed and looked around, pretending to ponder for a moment. He then looked back at her paling face and said: "I bet that after tonight, all you will think of is me. My name will be sprawled across every page in your little diary. I bet that…your body and mind will be entirely mine by the end of the year; in three months and a half, to be exact."
Bellatrix laughed loudly, drawing drunken looks from the men at the counter. Who did this man think he was? He thought that just because he was handsome he would be able to seduce her? Truth be told, she felt a little disappointed by his challenge. She would have thought someone as mysterious as Tom Riddle would have more original, exciting ideas than just romantic intrigue.
"I'm not looking for your love, Bellatrix." Tom rectified, calmly disregarding her mocking laughter. "Love is a word I am not in the least bit interested in. I'm looking for loyalty, fascination and…complete and total obedience. That is what I want from you. That is what you will give me."
The laughter died down instantly. Bellatrix was afraid.
"No." She murmured, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "No I won't."
She stared at him for a second, shocked into silence. And then, like a dam suddenly breaking, panic rushed into her thoughts. And she couldn't stifle them anymore.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Why me? What are you trying to achieve with this fucking crazy game? You're mad…you're mad! I'm leaving! Now."
Still, she did not move.
"I am not finished yet." He continued, speaking as if she hadn't said a single word. "I haven't told you how I intend to win. Now usually I wouldn't consider revealing my tactics but I think this is a special occasion…" His smile turned back on, he was starting to look slightly insane. Bellatrix felt sick.
"You see, Bellatrix…I am going to be your teacher. And I'm going to have you perform a little experiment for me. It'll be a special little class. A class I'm sure you will find more…challenging than the ones we attend at Hogwarts University."
He paused, allowing Bellatrix to analyze his words.
"You're wondering why you would willingly do anything of the sort. You're not the type to help others. Believe me, I know. But you are the type that likes to feel special, superior. You've been searching for perfection all your life but you don't know what perfection is. Without it, you feel your life is meaningless. You feel empty. I can help you. I'll teach you what true perfection is. You'll never feel hollow again."
Bellatrix couldn't move. Once, as a young teenager, Bellatrix had fallen through thin ice into a river. On that day, it had felt as if she wasn't in her own body, like she was watching everything from afar. She had never felt that odd sensation of shock since then. Yet, as she looked into his eyes she couldn't help but feel the sensation returning.
"Get away from me." She breathed. "Don't ever speak to me again."
And this time, she stood without hesitation, urgently pulling the coat onto her shoulders.
Tom Riddle watched her do this. He did not attempt to stop her. He didn't even look displeased. On the contrary, he looked amused. As if she was a child making a scene. He rested his chin on his open palm and looked up at her.
Bellatrix turned and headed for the door, Tom's final words fluttering in the air after her.
"I can fill the emptiness, Bellatrix."
