Tom's eyes glint red as he spies the empty vial on my dressing table, the paleness of my face and the way my sheets are twisted awkwardly from a restless night. I run a hand through my hair that now hangs lankly, feeling as though all of the energy has been sapped out of me. He kneels down in front of my, taking the hand in my hair and clutching it with his own. "What do you want to do?"
I shake my head, the images flashing back to me. "I want to forget. I want to forget all of it."
He blinks at me, tilting his head to peer at me. "By all of it, you mean…?"
"What I just saw; what you did in the past." I look at him, and my eyes shine with tears. "I just want to forget, Tom. It's too big a secret to have on my shoulders."
He traces my cheekbone carefully and stands up from his crouch, withdrawing with his wand. "You're sure?"
"Yes," I say fiercely, clenching my teeth. "It's the only way we'll live normally, happily." I look up at him. "Please, Tom."
His eyes tinge with a sudden sadness and he taps his wand to my forehead. I squeeze my eyes shut. "But, Tom?"
"Yes?"
"Leave the happy memories."
His other hand smoothes my hair. "Don't worry. I will."
I smile, and my memories begin to drift and sift, whirring away the badness, the bitterness, until all that's left is good.
But it's a deceiving smile, for I have already drawn a copy of them out myself, not that he'll ever know. And the ones that remain there are covered, stored at the very back where he'll never think of looking. What he is withdrawing are just duplicates. Lies. I clutch the vial of my memories behind my back, the ones that will change the face of the wizarding world, and clench my hand into a fist.
There are something's that you just can't forget. No matter how terrible.
And Tom is a fool to think that I would succumb to that.