Chapter Two
Dining With the King
"By the way," she added. "My name is Ann."
The girl, now known as Ann, had just finished telling me Ieverything/I-- all about Hermione Granger and the Society's plans for her. Even I hadn't known about this plan to capture her, and I was relatively high in rank. Whoever this Hermione Granger girl was, my heart went out to her. It wasn't easy hiding from the Society, even if you Iwere/I under the protection of Albus Dumbledore.
"Thanks, Ann," I replied gratefully. "I'm Ella, by the way. Ella Schlasser."
"That's a beautiful name," she whispered.
"Thanks," I whispered back. I had no idea why I was whispering. It wasn't like anyone else was in the room. "If you ever need anything, just tell the employees that you know me. That might protect you a bit."
"Thank you," she mumbled. "Oh, thank you so much, Ella!"
"It isn't anything," I said uncomfortably. "No one really listens to me, anyway."
"Will you help me, Ella?" she asked. "You promised you would."
"All right," I said softly. "Close your eyes."
She immediately obeyed, her eyelids closing over her sad, shining eyes. I lifted my wand over her and muttered, "Obliviate." As soon as I had done so, her eyes fluttered back open.
"That will protect you for a while," I reassured her. "They're be frustrated with you, yes-- and there's ways of breaking these charms-- but it'll be easier if you don't remember anything."
"What are you talking about?" she exclaimed, pressing up against the cage. "Why am I here? Let me out!"
"Good luck, Ann," I muttered, patting the cage in a futile attempt to comfort her.
I would have stayed longer, but she then began to cry, and I couldn't take it any longer. My lips formed into a weak smile and I left, leaving her with her sorrows. What could I have done, anyway? I thought unhappily, nodding to several workers as we passed in the hall. I couldn't have let her out. Look what happened last time!
As I recalled my meeting with Voldemort, I couldn't believe how stupid I had been. I shouldn't have admitted it, I thought bitterly. He would have believed me over Jenna and Michelle. Then again, I never could have let Jenna and Michelle take the blame for my own deeds. The guilt would eat me up from the inside out.
"Hey, El, there you are!"
I almost crashed right into Jenna, who was accompanied by Michelle, of course. Why was she being so friendly, anyway? I raised my eyebrows almost to my hairline; it was one of my skeptical looks that I was quite famous-- or even infamous-- for. She didn't seem to mind, though; she smiled and grabbed my arm, chatting away unconcernedly.
"You have to come to my living quarters so we can fix you up!" (Here at the Muggle Extermination Center, even the word Ihouse/I had a euphanism-- just in case it needed one. It wasn't a Ihouse/I, or a Ihome/I, or even a Iresidence/I-- it was Iliving quarters/I. "I just heard a rumor that Lord Voldemort is going to be dining with us tonight!"
"Imagine! Dining with Lord Voldemort! Dining with the king!" squealed Michelle, her hands fluttering to her face. "He Inever/I dines with us. He always has to have his little private dinner. I bet something big's going on!"
"Give me a break, you guys," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "You aren't serious?"
"Of course we are!" gasped Jenna, still keeping a firm grasp on my arm. "Maybe he's going to make the announcement tonight. You know, the one about John."
"What [I]are[/I] you talking about?" I snapped.
"You know what I mean. About John's... affiancement?" She bit her lip. "Is affiancement a word?"
"Stop trying to be smart, Jen," giggled Michelle. "What she means is, the Dark Lord might make the announcement tonight about you and John getting married!"
"Oh God, no, help me!" I groaned, stopping dead in my tracks. Jenna jerked backwards, not expecting my full halt. "You can't... He can't... Argh!"
"I can't believe you, El!" Jenna shook her head at me. "This is John Riddle we're talking about. He's handsome, he's bold, and he's..." She shuddered slightly. "IPowerful./I"
"Yeah, and scary as Hell," I shot back. "Who would want to be married to a guy you know can blow your brains out any moment?"
Neither Mish or Jen spoke. I think I confused them by asking a sudden question which actually required them to think.
"It's worth it," Jenna said finally. "It totally is."
"You're both crazy," I sighed, rubbing at my right eye. "I'm not hungry, anyway."
Michelle paused for a moment, then grabbed my free arm. "Let's go, Ella."
"Wha- what are you doing?!" I shrieked as they both began to drag me down the hall.
"Helping you," said Jenna simply.
Two hours later, I was prettier than an English princess. Michelle had pulled out one of her prized velvet dress robes, and Jenna had supplied the makeup. One of the other girls from our living quarters, a pretty Asian-American girl named Erin, brought in some magical mousse she'd gotten from her trip to Russia. After they rubbed it through my hair and brushed each strand at least a thousand times, my hair glimmered like a placid lake, and my face glowed as if it were a veela's. It was great if you liked that type of thing-- but I didn't. I didn't at all.
When I first glanced at myself in the mirror, I felt a fleeting feeling of pleasure, which was quickly replaced by irritability. If this was the way to a boy's heart-- pure looks and vanity-- then I was going to run to the nearest covenant. I doubted John would be impressed by this "beauty" anyway; he had never shown any interest in any of the girls, except for one dark-haired girl who had long since been killed in service to the Society. There was a rumor that she'd attempted to "quit" the Society, but this rumor had quickly been quelled by the smarter bunch in the Society. She was too faithful, they'd said. She'd never even dream of committing such a grievous crime as to leave the Society.
Just as I opened my mouth to protest, the dinner bell rang, loud and clear. Jenna, Michelle, and Jess became a trio of furious gigglers, their eyes raking over my body to make sure all was perfect. To my astonishment, my hands began to shake nervously, thoughts of John and the Dark Lord racing through my mind. Stop it, I scolded myself. You're probably making a big deal of nothing. Somehow, my heart couldn't truly agree with my thoughts. As Michelle had exclaimed, something big had to be going on. The Dark Lord never mingled much with lower employees. The only reason he bothered with me was, because, as I had said, I seemed to be his favorite, and secondly, both he and I knew that if I were older, I'd be an official of great rank in the Society.
"It's time," announced Jenna dramatically. "Let's go!"
"I don't know if I can do this, you guys. I'm feeling kind of--"
"Don't be stupid," interrupted Michelle. "You'll be perfect. You certainly Ilook/I it."
"Oh, she does," agreed Erin. I had always thought her to be more sensible than the others, but perhaps I was wrong. She was as excited with my possible engagement to John as Michelle and Jenna were.
An eruption of murmurs and whispers rippled across the table as I entered. Was it the way I looked? Or did they know something I did not?
"Sit, ladies," said Lord Voldemort in a soft voice. He was seated at the head of the table. "It's a pleasure to have you here."
Michelle and Jenna immediately began to giggle, poking and swatting at each other excitedly. I rolled my eyes.
"Sit, Ella Schlasser."
It was then that I noticed I was still standing like a fool, while everyone else was already seated. What's with me? I thought angrily, practically bulleting to my seat. Have I gone crazy? Probably everyone thinks so.
"It is tonight," breathed Lord Voldemort, "that I announce news that many of you will find startling." He spoke in no more than a whisper, but the whole room was hanging onto his every word. "You all should know that I had taken a lover only a few days before my downfall to the foolish Harry Potter more than 16 years ago. My son was produced because of this, but he was hidden far in the Fortress of Azkaban. After I realized it was safe, I helped him to reemerge, and now he is the most powerful wizard in the world, save for myself. Now, as he gets older, he will wed."
Michelle reached over and squeezed my hand happily. I quickly jerked my own hand away.
"Tonight is the night that I will announce his bride. She is already aware that I have been planning this. Now that I have gotten the approval from my son, I will make it official."
I glanced over at John. Did he really want to marry me? As Voldemort said the words, "I have gotten the approval from my son", John's face contorted as if he were biting into a lemon. Obviously, he was being forced to marry me, too. Just like I was going to be forced to marry him. For a moment, I felt a pang of pity for him, but the pang was soon overtaken with pity for myself.
"One week hence, my son will be wed to a marvelous girl. Though being a bit troublesome at times..." He chuckled, his gleaming red eyes smiling at me, "she has always proven faithful to the Society and myself. That is why it gives me great pleasure to announce that one week hence, my son will be wed to..."
There was a dramatic pause. I felt Michelle's leg twitch next to me.
"IElla Schlasser./I"
"Oh my God," I moaned, my hands slapping to my mouth.
The crowd murmured their assent, taking my terrified expression for an expression of ecstasy. The Dark Lord knew better, though. I smiled shakily and stuck out my hand for fellow employees to shake; I accepted congratulations graciously and pretended to enjoy the pats on my back. However, I trembled under the Dark Lord's stare. Everyone-- the employees, the Death Eaters, and even his enemies, members of the Order-- knew that Voldemort posessed something no normal man, wizard or Muggle posessed. He knew things. He could sense a lie, and he could also sense deception. Does he know? I wondered uneasily.
Even if he did know, he didn't say much about it. He simply clapped his hands, conjuring our dinner in an instant. Everyone around me ate healthily, but I wasn't hungry-- not at all. In fact, I thought that if I even tried to take a bite of anything, my stomach would repel it. I'm going to be married, I thought wildly. I'm going to be married to John! John Riddle! The son of Voldemort! The son of the most evil wizard of all time! As I glanced up from my plate, I noticed John staring at me. What does he want? I wondered, looking away and blushing.
At the closing of dinner (I still hadn't eaten anything), I quickly left my seat before Michelle and Jenna could grab me to drag me off to who-knows-where again. As soon as I'd escaped, I practically ran to my living quarters, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was trapped. I hated the Society, and I hated all it standed for. I even hated Lord Voldemort. But because of my own stupidity, I was going to marry Voldemort's son, and thus be trapped in this hateful world forever.
"Ella Schlasser," said a soft voice.
I gasped and turned around. No one ever entered my private living quarters without my permission. Even though each individual's living quarters weren't locked, most employees of the Muggle Extermination Center had enough courtesy not to enter each other's quarters. But the man standing in my doorway was not just an employee. It was John Riddle.
"I'm sorry about my father," he said quietly. I had never noticed how heavy his British accent was until now. "It's not my choice. I would not force you into something like this."
"You could, though," I sniffled. "Couldn't you?"
"Yes. But I wouldn't."
Silence. Imagine how we'll be like when we're married if this is the best conversation we've had so far, I thought gloomily.
"Must you cry?" he said suddenly.
"Yes. I must," I replied. "Unless it displeases you, sir."
"It does."
"Why?"
"Because I do not enjoy seeing a young woman in pain."
"Many Muggle girls are tortured every day here, don't you know?" I gazed at him reproachfully.
"I do not order them to be tortured, do I?" he mumbled.
"Who does, then?" I snapped, surprised with my own boldness.
"My father, you foolish girl," he snarled back. I saw his hand plunge for his wand, and I stepped backwards. He noticed where I was watching. "I'm sorry. Sometimes, my anger..." He looked away.
"Can't you ask your father that you be allowed to marry someone else?" I pleaded.
"No."
"Why not?" I implored him.
"He is my father. He is Lord Voldemort. You do not question his ways." I couldn't help but notice that John sounded like a programmed robot, automated to spit out answers.
"He's your father," I said unhappily. "Everyone knows you're the only one who can control him."
"There is a limit to what one can control, Ella," he whispered, his brown eyes gleaming from the moonlight streaming through the boxy window in my quarters.
"I wanted to marry for love," I blubbered suddenly, more tears escaping my eyes. "Now, I'm afraid that... Ohhh..."
To my complete and utter shock, he stepped close to me and enveloped me in his arms. I let out a choking sob, allowing him to do so, while I wrapped my own arms around his shoulders. It wasn't so much that I wanted him to hold me, it was just that I need someone to hold me, and he was the most available body. I was surprised to see that he was smaller than I'd imagined he was; his shoulders were tiny and bones poked through his skin like rods. For one of the most powerful and evil wizards in the world, one would expect John to be a little more... threatening, maybe? But as I held him, he felt like a normal boy, except thinner-- much thinner.
"I wanted to marry for love, too," he told me quietly as we broke apart. "Sometimes things don't work out that way. We'll make the best of it, Ella."
I can't believe I'm talking to John Riddle this way, I thought, amazed. It's as if he's a normal person, even though I know very well that he's not. "Thanks, John."
"There is no need to thank me," he said, shaking his head. "My words are for your comfort as well as my own."
I sighed. "Thank you anyway."
"Well, then, you're welcome," he replied, pulling his cloak tighter around himself. "I suppose I'll go now."
"Wait!" I called.
"What?" he asked, beginning to sound agitated. It was as if he was thinking, "I'm already being forced to marry her... What more can I do?"
"Did you love her?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. Shouldn't've done that, I told myself. Really, should not have done that, you're going to be killed, he's going to--
"Who?" he snapped, his face contorting with anger.
"The girl. The one who was killed in service to the Society."
"Know this, Ella," he hissed, "If you want to save your own neck, you'd best be not mentioning her. I would not harm you because of it, but there are those who will."
"Why, though?" I asked eagerly. "Is it true about--"
He held up a hand to silence me. "Because you are my future wife, then I shall tell you the truth. Yes. Serena, my first and true love, attempted to quit the Society. And that is why she is dead." His face crumpled, as if he might cry. "What's even more lovely about it, I got to do the honors. I killed her myself."
"You..." My jaw dropped. "But..."
"You will learn many things as my wife, Ella. The first thing to learn is, if you betray the Society or my father, even I will not be able to help you." He gave me a long, searching stare, then turned his head. "Goodnight, Ella."
"Goodnight," I whispered.
Dining With the King
"By the way," she added. "My name is Ann."
The girl, now known as Ann, had just finished telling me Ieverything/I-- all about Hermione Granger and the Society's plans for her. Even I hadn't known about this plan to capture her, and I was relatively high in rank. Whoever this Hermione Granger girl was, my heart went out to her. It wasn't easy hiding from the Society, even if you Iwere/I under the protection of Albus Dumbledore.
"Thanks, Ann," I replied gratefully. "I'm Ella, by the way. Ella Schlasser."
"That's a beautiful name," she whispered.
"Thanks," I whispered back. I had no idea why I was whispering. It wasn't like anyone else was in the room. "If you ever need anything, just tell the employees that you know me. That might protect you a bit."
"Thank you," she mumbled. "Oh, thank you so much, Ella!"
"It isn't anything," I said uncomfortably. "No one really listens to me, anyway."
"Will you help me, Ella?" she asked. "You promised you would."
"All right," I said softly. "Close your eyes."
She immediately obeyed, her eyelids closing over her sad, shining eyes. I lifted my wand over her and muttered, "Obliviate." As soon as I had done so, her eyes fluttered back open.
"That will protect you for a while," I reassured her. "They're be frustrated with you, yes-- and there's ways of breaking these charms-- but it'll be easier if you don't remember anything."
"What are you talking about?" she exclaimed, pressing up against the cage. "Why am I here? Let me out!"
"Good luck, Ann," I muttered, patting the cage in a futile attempt to comfort her.
I would have stayed longer, but she then began to cry, and I couldn't take it any longer. My lips formed into a weak smile and I left, leaving her with her sorrows. What could I have done, anyway? I thought unhappily, nodding to several workers as we passed in the hall. I couldn't have let her out. Look what happened last time!
As I recalled my meeting with Voldemort, I couldn't believe how stupid I had been. I shouldn't have admitted it, I thought bitterly. He would have believed me over Jenna and Michelle. Then again, I never could have let Jenna and Michelle take the blame for my own deeds. The guilt would eat me up from the inside out.
"Hey, El, there you are!"
I almost crashed right into Jenna, who was accompanied by Michelle, of course. Why was she being so friendly, anyway? I raised my eyebrows almost to my hairline; it was one of my skeptical looks that I was quite famous-- or even infamous-- for. She didn't seem to mind, though; she smiled and grabbed my arm, chatting away unconcernedly.
"You have to come to my living quarters so we can fix you up!" (Here at the Muggle Extermination Center, even the word Ihouse/I had a euphanism-- just in case it needed one. It wasn't a Ihouse/I, or a Ihome/I, or even a Iresidence/I-- it was Iliving quarters/I. "I just heard a rumor that Lord Voldemort is going to be dining with us tonight!"
"Imagine! Dining with Lord Voldemort! Dining with the king!" squealed Michelle, her hands fluttering to her face. "He Inever/I dines with us. He always has to have his little private dinner. I bet something big's going on!"
"Give me a break, you guys," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "You aren't serious?"
"Of course we are!" gasped Jenna, still keeping a firm grasp on my arm. "Maybe he's going to make the announcement tonight. You know, the one about John."
"What [I]are[/I] you talking about?" I snapped.
"You know what I mean. About John's... affiancement?" She bit her lip. "Is affiancement a word?"
"Stop trying to be smart, Jen," giggled Michelle. "What she means is, the Dark Lord might make the announcement tonight about you and John getting married!"
"Oh God, no, help me!" I groaned, stopping dead in my tracks. Jenna jerked backwards, not expecting my full halt. "You can't... He can't... Argh!"
"I can't believe you, El!" Jenna shook her head at me. "This is John Riddle we're talking about. He's handsome, he's bold, and he's..." She shuddered slightly. "IPowerful./I"
"Yeah, and scary as Hell," I shot back. "Who would want to be married to a guy you know can blow your brains out any moment?"
Neither Mish or Jen spoke. I think I confused them by asking a sudden question which actually required them to think.
"It's worth it," Jenna said finally. "It totally is."
"You're both crazy," I sighed, rubbing at my right eye. "I'm not hungry, anyway."
Michelle paused for a moment, then grabbed my free arm. "Let's go, Ella."
"Wha- what are you doing?!" I shrieked as they both began to drag me down the hall.
"Helping you," said Jenna simply.
Two hours later, I was prettier than an English princess. Michelle had pulled out one of her prized velvet dress robes, and Jenna had supplied the makeup. One of the other girls from our living quarters, a pretty Asian-American girl named Erin, brought in some magical mousse she'd gotten from her trip to Russia. After they rubbed it through my hair and brushed each strand at least a thousand times, my hair glimmered like a placid lake, and my face glowed as if it were a veela's. It was great if you liked that type of thing-- but I didn't. I didn't at all.
When I first glanced at myself in the mirror, I felt a fleeting feeling of pleasure, which was quickly replaced by irritability. If this was the way to a boy's heart-- pure looks and vanity-- then I was going to run to the nearest covenant. I doubted John would be impressed by this "beauty" anyway; he had never shown any interest in any of the girls, except for one dark-haired girl who had long since been killed in service to the Society. There was a rumor that she'd attempted to "quit" the Society, but this rumor had quickly been quelled by the smarter bunch in the Society. She was too faithful, they'd said. She'd never even dream of committing such a grievous crime as to leave the Society.
Just as I opened my mouth to protest, the dinner bell rang, loud and clear. Jenna, Michelle, and Jess became a trio of furious gigglers, their eyes raking over my body to make sure all was perfect. To my astonishment, my hands began to shake nervously, thoughts of John and the Dark Lord racing through my mind. Stop it, I scolded myself. You're probably making a big deal of nothing. Somehow, my heart couldn't truly agree with my thoughts. As Michelle had exclaimed, something big had to be going on. The Dark Lord never mingled much with lower employees. The only reason he bothered with me was, because, as I had said, I seemed to be his favorite, and secondly, both he and I knew that if I were older, I'd be an official of great rank in the Society.
"It's time," announced Jenna dramatically. "Let's go!"
"I don't know if I can do this, you guys. I'm feeling kind of--"
"Don't be stupid," interrupted Michelle. "You'll be perfect. You certainly Ilook/I it."
"Oh, she does," agreed Erin. I had always thought her to be more sensible than the others, but perhaps I was wrong. She was as excited with my possible engagement to John as Michelle and Jenna were.
An eruption of murmurs and whispers rippled across the table as I entered. Was it the way I looked? Or did they know something I did not?
"Sit, ladies," said Lord Voldemort in a soft voice. He was seated at the head of the table. "It's a pleasure to have you here."
Michelle and Jenna immediately began to giggle, poking and swatting at each other excitedly. I rolled my eyes.
"Sit, Ella Schlasser."
It was then that I noticed I was still standing like a fool, while everyone else was already seated. What's with me? I thought angrily, practically bulleting to my seat. Have I gone crazy? Probably everyone thinks so.
"It is tonight," breathed Lord Voldemort, "that I announce news that many of you will find startling." He spoke in no more than a whisper, but the whole room was hanging onto his every word. "You all should know that I had taken a lover only a few days before my downfall to the foolish Harry Potter more than 16 years ago. My son was produced because of this, but he was hidden far in the Fortress of Azkaban. After I realized it was safe, I helped him to reemerge, and now he is the most powerful wizard in the world, save for myself. Now, as he gets older, he will wed."
Michelle reached over and squeezed my hand happily. I quickly jerked my own hand away.
"Tonight is the night that I will announce his bride. She is already aware that I have been planning this. Now that I have gotten the approval from my son, I will make it official."
I glanced over at John. Did he really want to marry me? As Voldemort said the words, "I have gotten the approval from my son", John's face contorted as if he were biting into a lemon. Obviously, he was being forced to marry me, too. Just like I was going to be forced to marry him. For a moment, I felt a pang of pity for him, but the pang was soon overtaken with pity for myself.
"One week hence, my son will be wed to a marvelous girl. Though being a bit troublesome at times..." He chuckled, his gleaming red eyes smiling at me, "she has always proven faithful to the Society and myself. That is why it gives me great pleasure to announce that one week hence, my son will be wed to..."
There was a dramatic pause. I felt Michelle's leg twitch next to me.
"IElla Schlasser./I"
"Oh my God," I moaned, my hands slapping to my mouth.
The crowd murmured their assent, taking my terrified expression for an expression of ecstasy. The Dark Lord knew better, though. I smiled shakily and stuck out my hand for fellow employees to shake; I accepted congratulations graciously and pretended to enjoy the pats on my back. However, I trembled under the Dark Lord's stare. Everyone-- the employees, the Death Eaters, and even his enemies, members of the Order-- knew that Voldemort posessed something no normal man, wizard or Muggle posessed. He knew things. He could sense a lie, and he could also sense deception. Does he know? I wondered uneasily.
Even if he did know, he didn't say much about it. He simply clapped his hands, conjuring our dinner in an instant. Everyone around me ate healthily, but I wasn't hungry-- not at all. In fact, I thought that if I even tried to take a bite of anything, my stomach would repel it. I'm going to be married, I thought wildly. I'm going to be married to John! John Riddle! The son of Voldemort! The son of the most evil wizard of all time! As I glanced up from my plate, I noticed John staring at me. What does he want? I wondered, looking away and blushing.
At the closing of dinner (I still hadn't eaten anything), I quickly left my seat before Michelle and Jenna could grab me to drag me off to who-knows-where again. As soon as I'd escaped, I practically ran to my living quarters, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was trapped. I hated the Society, and I hated all it standed for. I even hated Lord Voldemort. But because of my own stupidity, I was going to marry Voldemort's son, and thus be trapped in this hateful world forever.
"Ella Schlasser," said a soft voice.
I gasped and turned around. No one ever entered my private living quarters without my permission. Even though each individual's living quarters weren't locked, most employees of the Muggle Extermination Center had enough courtesy not to enter each other's quarters. But the man standing in my doorway was not just an employee. It was John Riddle.
"I'm sorry about my father," he said quietly. I had never noticed how heavy his British accent was until now. "It's not my choice. I would not force you into something like this."
"You could, though," I sniffled. "Couldn't you?"
"Yes. But I wouldn't."
Silence. Imagine how we'll be like when we're married if this is the best conversation we've had so far, I thought gloomily.
"Must you cry?" he said suddenly.
"Yes. I must," I replied. "Unless it displeases you, sir."
"It does."
"Why?"
"Because I do not enjoy seeing a young woman in pain."
"Many Muggle girls are tortured every day here, don't you know?" I gazed at him reproachfully.
"I do not order them to be tortured, do I?" he mumbled.
"Who does, then?" I snapped, surprised with my own boldness.
"My father, you foolish girl," he snarled back. I saw his hand plunge for his wand, and I stepped backwards. He noticed where I was watching. "I'm sorry. Sometimes, my anger..." He looked away.
"Can't you ask your father that you be allowed to marry someone else?" I pleaded.
"No."
"Why not?" I implored him.
"He is my father. He is Lord Voldemort. You do not question his ways." I couldn't help but notice that John sounded like a programmed robot, automated to spit out answers.
"He's your father," I said unhappily. "Everyone knows you're the only one who can control him."
"There is a limit to what one can control, Ella," he whispered, his brown eyes gleaming from the moonlight streaming through the boxy window in my quarters.
"I wanted to marry for love," I blubbered suddenly, more tears escaping my eyes. "Now, I'm afraid that... Ohhh..."
To my complete and utter shock, he stepped close to me and enveloped me in his arms. I let out a choking sob, allowing him to do so, while I wrapped my own arms around his shoulders. It wasn't so much that I wanted him to hold me, it was just that I need someone to hold me, and he was the most available body. I was surprised to see that he was smaller than I'd imagined he was; his shoulders were tiny and bones poked through his skin like rods. For one of the most powerful and evil wizards in the world, one would expect John to be a little more... threatening, maybe? But as I held him, he felt like a normal boy, except thinner-- much thinner.
"I wanted to marry for love, too," he told me quietly as we broke apart. "Sometimes things don't work out that way. We'll make the best of it, Ella."
I can't believe I'm talking to John Riddle this way, I thought, amazed. It's as if he's a normal person, even though I know very well that he's not. "Thanks, John."
"There is no need to thank me," he said, shaking his head. "My words are for your comfort as well as my own."
I sighed. "Thank you anyway."
"Well, then, you're welcome," he replied, pulling his cloak tighter around himself. "I suppose I'll go now."
"Wait!" I called.
"What?" he asked, beginning to sound agitated. It was as if he was thinking, "I'm already being forced to marry her... What more can I do?"
"Did you love her?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. Shouldn't've done that, I told myself. Really, should not have done that, you're going to be killed, he's going to--
"Who?" he snapped, his face contorting with anger.
"The girl. The one who was killed in service to the Society."
"Know this, Ella," he hissed, "If you want to save your own neck, you'd best be not mentioning her. I would not harm you because of it, but there are those who will."
"Why, though?" I asked eagerly. "Is it true about--"
He held up a hand to silence me. "Because you are my future wife, then I shall tell you the truth. Yes. Serena, my first and true love, attempted to quit the Society. And that is why she is dead." His face crumpled, as if he might cry. "What's even more lovely about it, I got to do the honors. I killed her myself."
"You..." My jaw dropped. "But..."
"You will learn many things as my wife, Ella. The first thing to learn is, if you betray the Society or my father, even I will not be able to help you." He gave me a long, searching stare, then turned his head. "Goodnight, Ella."
"Goodnight," I whispered.