Orphaned No More

Chapter Three

It had been a week since the garden shed in Riddle Manor had become home to one Merope Gaunt and her twin babies. Raoul had been moved to an undergroumd room that had formerly been the Manor's bomb shelter. No more war meant no more need for a bomb shelter.

Thomas Riddle was not one to pay much heed to the relocation of servants. But said relocation being done to accomodate a young mother of two, on the orders of his son nonetheless, did pique his curiosity slightly.

Slightly might have been an understatement.

Lady Riddle was visiting her sister in London or she most certainly would have raised hell about the matter.

He had considered approaching young Tom to ask him about the incident but he did not want to seem petty fretting over this when clearly the Manor could house a large number of people without going broke.

But his son's interest in the matter concerned him.

Fatherly instincts won over generosity and he summoned his son for tea in his study room.

Dressed in a white plaid cotton shirt and a black overcoat with a monocle fixed to his right eye as he read the day's paper, the Elder Riddle looked very intimidating.

"You called?, Father" came the hesitant voice of his son from the door of the study.

Tom had been eager to avoid his father following the day Merope moved in to avoid discussion about the whole thing. He was not too fond of what had happened between him and the witch and was trying to come to terms with it so he had never mentioned to his parents what actually had happened during the days he had disappeared.

People in the town had speculated that Merope and young Tom Riddle had eloped together. Mrs. Riddle proceeded to laugh out loud during a town party at the notion of her proud son running away with a "tramp's daughter". That was what she had done publicly. The fact that she had found solace in crying in the privacy of her bedroom was another matter entirely.

Aristocrats. One would fathom they were another specie entirely.

Naturally senior master Riddle did his best to eradicate all mention of the name Merope from Riddle Manor by replacing all of the servants who had heard the gossip with new ones.

Gossip had died down once his son had come back claiming amnesia while there was no sign of the runaway girl.

Thomas Riddle prided himself on never giving in to gossip and not checking for himself who the young mother residing at his house was.

Obviously pride went down the drain when worry overcame him about whether or not this was the same girl.

"Come in, Tom" He said breaking his chain of thoughts.

Tom nodded and came to stand near a bookshelf near his father's chair. Seating himself did not occur to him out of nervousness.

His father looked at the empty chair infront of him and then at his still standing son and said:

"Sit down my boy! When did you start needing a permit for that?"

Tom flushed at his tactlessness and sat on the chair promptly.

"Strange business there, Tom. I didnt know we were running an asylum" his father's to the point attitude was as scary as always.

"I dont understand what you mean, Father" Tom managed not to stutter.

"You were gone for months Tom. You came back and I thank God for that everyday." Tom relaxed at his father's concerned tone. "but just weeks after your return, a woman follows suit and births two babies in our garden shed of all places." Walls really did have eyes then " I am an old man, Tom. There is only so much of surprises I can handle with an old heart of mine." his father finished with a serious look in his eyes.

Tom felt all kinds of urges to just tell his father the truth, to have the woman thrown out of the house for how she had drugged him with something she called a love potion and had done away with marrying him and bearing him sons while their escapade to London.

But a calming presence stopped him. He could almost feel an invisible hand on his shoulder that calmed his very soul to the core and kept inspiring him to "be the bigger man" and "whats done is done" and "forgive what love made her do".

He really needed to stop drinking at odd times of the day. He swatted away his thoughts but decided to go by them nonetheless.

"A soldier saved me from a band of war traitors, father. The traitors knew about our wealth and were seeking to hold me hostage for ransom. Little did my savior know that the men would kill him later." he spoke as if reading from a script, mustering as much compassion as he could in his dialogue. "She is...was his wife. Now widow. I was forever in her debt. I cost her her husband. I begged her to come stay with us to ease my guilt" Tom lied with a straight face.

His father was shocked at the revelation. He contemplated surrounding his son with bodyguards to never expose him to such dangers again.

"You never told us that, Tom" he said in an exhausted and worried tone as he struggled to hold himself firm on the chair.

"I did not want to worry you father. My amnesia did not help things by much. I had almost forgotten about her until she showed up on our doorstep." Tom could not take lying to his father anynore. "Please excuse me, Father. This conversation has exhausted me. Kindly allow me to retire to the garden for some fresh air."

Thomas nodded feebly and gestured for his son to leave who did not waste time in doing so.

His hands shivered with worry and old age.

He would never let his son come across such dangers again.

His thoughts were broken by a raven flying away from the library window in an almost eerie fashion. As if it had achieved what it had came for.

Not that he would concern himself with a bird for any logical reason.

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Please do review guys! I could really use some expert advice! :/