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I hope you enjoy this chapter...
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19
Aurelia's betrayal
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1961
She might be a prisoner, but what was the point of denying food or ministrations when she needed her strength to get out of here? She was not a willing victim, sure she was not a fierce foe and wasn't a very wise witch, but she was damn sure Septimus, Bilius and Arthur were to be proud of her courage; she could be a Gryffindor for all she knew.
When December arrived she knew her family was going mad not knowing where she was, Tom didn't trust her enough to let her out and even less to give her wand back, she spent most of her days alone and Tom would only appear on her door when she was about to go to sleep to say good night; she barely acknowledged him.
"Happy Birthday, Aurelia…" she muttered to herself, she was lying down on her bed looking at the ceiling, it was already midnight and Tom haven't come to say his goodnight…
As stupid as it was she yearned for those moments… recognizing the guilt and shame on his face and voice, thinking she might have a chance of changing him… she sighed and turned punching her pillow trying to get it to feel more comfortable.
She hated the stupid nightgown; she couldn't sleep feeling her legs against each other it was suicide, she grunted and pulled the gown up to her waist and pulled the blanket between her legs, she felt so uncomfortable, she was used to sleep with a pair of Bilius boxers and a shirt.
She almost jumped out of her skin when the door opened; bloody perfect timing to come; she thought when she saw Tom's form standing there, she extended her hand to the nightstand to grab her glasses and almost yelled when his hand closed on hers.
That was fast… and scary…
"What are you doing?" she asked bewildered.
"Happy Birthday…" he muttered letting her hand go and sitting on the bed's edge.
"Happy Birthday to you too, though I don't like celebrating my birthday anymore…" she muttered angrily and turned.
"Why?" Tom asked confusedly.
"I just turned 35…" she sighed feeling all of her failures creep to her head; being single at this age, being a mother though not because she wanted, working at a lousy candy shop and being in love with an old fantasy. "God I'm such a loser…" she mumbled.
"Aren't you a bit old to be calling yourself a loser?" he asked and she felt a rush of happiness, it was as if they were back at the library talking about silly things.
"No, it's because I am a bit too old that I ought to call myself a loser, Tom…" she muttered and when a thick silence fell between them she frowned. "What?"
"You just called me Tom…" he laughed and even in the dark she could see the true smile on his face. She blushed and tried to look somewhere else. "Aurelia… I'm sorry…" he muttered as quietly as he could.
She knew what he was sorry for…
"Is not me you should be saying sorry to, Tom…" she sighed and tried to figure his expression this time. "Myrtle had a family, your dad and grandparents were your family, those people you've killed they all had families and friends… they weren't my family, I do not approve of what you did, but I'm not the one who's missing them the most…" she said. "You haven't killed anyone from my family…" she felt her throat dry.
He nodded and sighed loudly.
"So what Tom? Your mother died and gave you to an orphanage; your dad never loved you, some kids made fun of you, your life was hard and horrible… but you're not the only one… you're taking out your anger on everyone else!" she said in a harsh whisper.
"I'm not the only one that's had a hard life, but I'm the only one with the power to fix it… you don't understand, Aurelia… I am better than my father, I won't carry his name anymore, and I won't be as useless as my mother was…" he replied and Aurelia took a deep breath; he was blinded by hate.
"You're taking all the wrong choices…" she said putting her hand on his cheek. Tom leaned on it.
"I don't think you're wrong at all…" he muttered and kissed her palm softly, Aurelia swallowed thickly.
"Tom I need you to do something for me…" she asked with trembling voice changing her position so she was now on her knees. "I need to know anything about my family, I need to know they're fine…" she pleaded.
"Nothing's going to happen to them, Aurelia…Trust me…" he assured her.
"It's not about trusting you, Tom… I don't trust Black…" she sobbed. "Arthur is just 11 year old!" she tried.
Tom was lost in her lips that moved fast with every word said, she was close and he felt the warm he yearned for.
"You can write to them…" he said. "But I'll have to read each letter, Aurelia, do understand why?" he said looking intently at her lips. Aurelia was not about to lose this chance, she nodded energetically.
"Thank you…" she sighed and hugged him tightly.
Tom let a huge sigh of relief when she hugged him, as if he had been holding his breath for the last 15 years, his arms encircled her torso and his nose buried on the crook of her neck.
This moment, just then and there; she found it to be horribly, beautifully perfect, as horrible as you could think it to be hugging a killer and as beautiful as you could think it to be hugging your only love… perfect because that was her reality.
…
1962
Tom stared at the long piece of parchment Aurelia had given him as the letter she wanted to send to her family, he sat heavily on the couch in the drawing room and prepared to read it, she sat on the one in front of him looking around the new room.
Dear Septimus, Bilius and Arthur;
I am fine, please don't worry about me; it's been two awful months without you, but trust me I am fine…
I know you're worried and all but do not neglect the house! Bilius is still in charge of cleaning on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, but now that I'm not there he should be doing Mondays too… no complains!
Septimus should be able to manage the laundry and the other three days, cooking is not difficult, please eat well and don't you dare skipping meals!
Arthur; I hope you're not letting your grades drop, I won't allow any of it! Be sure not to lose anymore socks and quills since dad will be the only income while Bilius looks for a job… yes, Bilius, you'll look for a job as soon as you finish your Auror training in march…
I hope you're all okay; it's not thatbad here, most of all is widelyboring but don't sweat it…
Please tell Dumbledore I am fine, he probably knows where I am, but even then I can't have visitors…
Again don't worry; tell Suzanne and Samuel I am fine…
Send a reply telling me everything with the same owl…
With love, Aurelia.
Tom glared at her from above the letter… she was playing innocent to get what she wanted…
"With a few… not needed words… but I'll send it as soon as my owl return, let me check on her…" he stood to leave the room.
"Thank you, Tom…" she muttered from the seat.
She stayed there quietly waiting for him to return her eyes roaming the place, and then everything stopped; there in front of her was a fireplace and on the shelf above there was a jar with red powder… so she couldn't escape from here, but she could communicate with someone!
She looked out the door to see if he was coming back and stood when she didn't spot him.
She almost ran to the fireplace and squatted in front of it with the jar of red powder in her hands…
"This is it…" she muttered nervously.
…
Tom walked down the corridor rereading her letter grimacing at each word he didn't like and then his eyes stared at the name at the end; Samuel. Who the hell was Samuel…?
He arrived to the balcony where a few owls stood eating and batting her wings upon seeing him… he didn't see the other person there.
"Who's Samuel?" Tom muttered frowning at the name he couldn't remember.
"Samuel?" Orion asked wonderingly. Tom turned to him calmly. "Well, if that woman is involved at all with the name, maybe that Samuel is Samuel McLaggen… I'm sure you remember McLaggen, a lousy Gryffindor…?" he said and was almost glad to see Tom's eyes widening. "Milord…" he said and walked inside the manor again.
Tom stared at the landscape before him, the wind blowing at his face and the anger he felt couldn't be reduced by the perfection of the view.
He ripped the last part of the letter and stuffed it in his pocket, he then tied the remnants of the letter to his owl leg and she took off… he tried to compose himself but he couldn't bare it any longer… He went inside the manor while loosening his tie…
…
"Please professor, now that you know this you need to do something…" Aurelia pleaded to Albus' image on the fire, his grave expression didn't reassured her and she felt like someone was about to die.
"Thank you, Aurelia, you'll need to hang on… we cannot go there yet…" he said worriedly.
"Professor, I think I am better here than at home in some way…" she smiled bitterly at him and he nodded. She heard footsteps and rushed to put out the fire, she stood briskly putting the jar on the shelf and ran in the direction of the door to receive him.
She was running and her eyes noticed the anger that boiled in his red eyes and then she fell to the floor with a stinging pain in her temples, memories rushed to her mind and she understood that he was reading her mind, looking in her deepest memories… but what was he trying to find?
She gasped when the image of Samuel and her kissing came to mind, with all the throbbing pain in her head she tried to look up at him and saw his eyes widening…
"Tom…" she felt so weak. He dropped something and she read the paper.
"Again don't worry; tell Suzanne and Samuel I am fine…
Send a reply telling me everything with the same owl…
With love, Aurelia."
Aurelia felt tears prickling her eyes; the memory was being forced again and again in her mind and she felt she was going insane.
"So… I know I cannot expect you to forgive everything I did… but I thought you loved me…" he said pacing around the room feeling disappointed.
"You have no right to do this…" she muttered weakly.
"You're not going to tell what I can or cannot do!" he yelled with a deep frown in his face he just felt so bad…
Aurelia stood weakly and stared at him.
"You left me in an empty room, cold and alone with a lousy note saying you'd be back… I thought you'd be back the next day, the next week; the next month, I even believed you'd be back for several years… when finally someone was trying to get me out of my house I realized you wouldn't be back anytime soon!" she snapped angrily.
"Samuel McLaggen?" he asked walking slowly to her and then he snorted sarcastically. "But I should've known better… you fancied him in school I guess the only reason you are not with Orion is because he killed your mother… am I wrong?" he raised an eyebrow.
"You're an arse!" she yelled. "It took me 13 years to realize you never loved me! Just when I finally decided to be happy you came back and ruined everything! I was already out of love with you! I was starting to feel the littlest bit of happiness! And then you come back and not only abduct me, but force me apart from my family! I must be a masochistic sick woman…" she quieted to the end. "…I just can accept that I'm still in love you and I won't; you've never said you loved me so I won't say it ever again…" she muttered harshly.
Tom was astounded at her outburst, she was panting and trembling; he realized something; he actually loved her, he cared, he needed her but his damn pride wouldn't let him admit it…
…
When a week went by and she hadn't seen anything of Tom she felt like something bad was lurking around, but maybe it was just Orion or one of those men he called death-eaters…
The worst of being here was the boredom; she was used to having a lot of chores, having to look after three men that knew nothing about cleaning or order… being here was the worst vacations she's ever had.
It was already midnight; she was seated on the window's ledge admiring the landscape, she had to admit this place was beautiful, a bit dark, yes, but the greenery and the tall trees reminded her of Hogwarts.
There was a knock on her door and didn't bother in answering, it wasn't as if she owned anything here.
"You should be sleeping…" Tom's voice said and she bit her lip making a great effort not to turn to him.
"I can't sleep." She muttered.
There was silence and then she heard him sigh loudly.
"Should I sing you a lullaby?" he asked and Aurelia turned sharp to look at his moonlighted features, he smiled warmly at her. "I think I can remember it…" he said and extended his hand to her.
Aurelia looked down at his hand and felt her eyes watering, she looked up at him and discovered a look she'd never seen on him; he was holding his breath and his eyes seemed those of a kid who was called to the principal's office not knowing what was to happen, one out of two; it could be good a praising for a good work or he could be there to be punished for his behavior…
She pondered for a while; Tom had been on the end of hatred since he was a little boy, everything was difficult for him, nobody had actually took the time to let him know he was good, or at least that beneath the surface there was a good boy.
She took his hand, but of course she would have… Tom let out a loud sigh and squeezed her hand, she stepped down from the ledge and let him led her to the bed, her eyes glued to their joined hands and she couldn't help but feel happiness of being here with him.
She got in and he followed her, she felt his hesitation and smiled warmly at him… Both of them lying down on their sides and looking at each other while he held her hand between their bodies.
"I don't want you to hate me, Aurelia…" he muttered in a whisper, Aurelia held his gaze and then turned so now she was lying on her back.
"I am in love with Tom Riddle…" she said in a clear voice. "Do you know him?" she asked with a bitter smile not looking at him. "Tom is this man, he's proud and very smart; he is the most talented wizard I've ever met, he's handsome and very well mannered…" she kept talking and felt a single tear running down to her ear. "When we were young he used to be very demanding, never asking for things, he's Salazar Slytherin's descendant…" she turned to him again with a smile. "Do you know what I like most about him?" she asked excitedly and almost laughed aloud when he nodded interested like a little boy.
"What?" he breathed out.
"His innocence…" Tom frowned and she grinned. "The way he would frown when he couldn't comprehend the simplest of things…"
She traced her fingers over his forehead erasing his frown.
"How he would fake annoyance when he was outsmarted… the way he would ignore people when he was the one at wrong…"
She had moved and was now supporting her upper body with her elbow looking into his red eyes, Tom saw another tear fall and land on his cheek.
"Why are you crying?" he asked wiping its trace with his thumb.
"Because I hate to know that Tom Riddle is just another victim of Lord Voldemort…" she said with croaked voice.
Tom swallowed thickly and pulled her down to him, she lied there on his chest hearing his heart beating inside his ribcage…
"Darkened slumbers kiss your eyes…
a smile will await you when you rise…
don't cry, I'll sing you a lullaby…"
Her voice fading as she sang and his eyelids fell heavily to cover his tired eyes…
Was he really another victim of Voldemort?
Should he just let go of this life and live his own with her?
So? was it good?
i hope so... i'm still thinking of what i should write about next... anyways...
Stay tuned Weasleyweasels!