Tom's eyes wavered back to the little girl hiding around the corner.
Pearl held her arms out and Bridget came running to her. Pearl lifted her
up and turned to face a stunned Tom.
"You never gave me a chance to tell you," she said quietly, smoothing Bridget's hair. "You were gone before I could say anything." Bouncing the girl slightly on her hip, she said, "This is the reason I didn't come back to school. Tom Riddle, I would like you to meet your daughter, Bridget."
Tom's eyes shifted from Bridget to Pearl, to his Death Eaters and to the door. Pearl didn't need to see the Death Eaters' faces to realize that they, too, were in deep shock. Tom looked as though he wanted to run from the shop, and keep running until all his power had drained out of him and he was a hopeless teenager again. Instead, he stood his ground, glaring at the little girl as though it was her fault she was born.
"You're lying, Pearl," he said quietly. "And I don't find it humorous."
"I agree. It's not funny, Tom."
"Why didn't you try to contact me?"
"How was I to know where you were?"
"There's always ways to find the greatest wizard in the world." Tom's voice was high and mighty but Pearl stood still, fighting with every chance she had.
"I told you already, Tom. To me, you're the same old Tom Riddle I knew in school."
Taking her by surprise, he pulled out his wand and aimed it directly at her chest. When she didn't flinch, he said, "You do know that with two simple words, I could kill you, Pearl."
"I told you, Tom. I'm not afraid of you."
Slowly he lowered his wand, realizing that the girl in front of him hadn't changed a bit. The main reason he liked Pearl Shepard was because she knew what she wanted in life and she wouldn't back down to anyone. She was strong, and that's what he needed. Someone strong to be on his team, to be on his side. To help him rule all the way to glory. Changing his mind, he put his wand back inside his robes and motioned for her to move nearer to him.
Setting Bridget down she whispered, "Go play," and followed Tom's beckoning. Away from the Death Eaters and Bridget, Tom relayed his idea to Pearl.
"I know you wouldn't be doing well financially, working here," he said, gesturing around to the store.
"I don't just work here," Pearl said indignantly. "I'm marrying the owner's son. He now owns the store."
Tom's eyes flashed with pain, but he tried to cover it up as amusement. "Well, regardless, we all know the store isn't doing too well. You need help, Pearl, and I think I'm just the person." He reached out to stroke her cheek, but she moved away.
"What do you want from me?"
"Your support, Pearl. Do you really want your daughter to grow up having the life that you had?"
It hurt Pearl to think that Tom was using that against her. She had confided in him when they were in school that her whole family was poor and how they never had any money and how all of her school stuff was second hand and how she hated it all. Cringing at the memories of her childhood, Pearl looked into the back room where her daughter said, playing with her dolls, oblivious to her mother's whirling mind.
"All you have to do, Pearl, is give up that ring, give up the engagement and the happy life, and you and Bridget can come live with me and you can be my supporter." His voice was so seductive that Pearl found it hard to say no. Still, she shook her head.
"I can't."
"Fine," Tom said, standing up straight. "Have a nice life. Or makeshift life, should I say?" He turned and motioned to the Death Eaters and they exited the shop.
Glancing around the store quickly, Pearl found herself more adept to the idea. It was no secret that Voldemort's supporters got the utmost respect and lifestyles. Could she do it? Could she really give up her life with Ryan to join the dark side? Did she really want to give Bridget that kind of life?
Memories of her own childhood came flooding back to her. The year that her parents told her she might not be able to return to school for lack of funds. And because she harassed them so much about it, they rented out half of their already small house to make ends meet. How embarrassed she felt when she appeared at the school in ratty old robes and second hand books. How Tom found it in his heart to take her under his wing and make sure that she was not teased for the condition of her belongings. How he was there for her and how she loved him so deeply.
Before she could stop herself, she was running out the doorway and stopped Tom not even half way across Diagon Alley. He looked at her, a triumph look in his eyes as she frantically glanced between Bridget in the window and Tom. Back and forth, her head swayed, making her feel dizzy. Then, before she could think again, she tore the ring off her finger and said, "Fine." She pushed it into Tom's hand and repeated, "Fine." Backing away from him, she said, "Fine," again, before bursting into tears. She was completely at his mercy now.
"You never gave me a chance to tell you," she said quietly, smoothing Bridget's hair. "You were gone before I could say anything." Bouncing the girl slightly on her hip, she said, "This is the reason I didn't come back to school. Tom Riddle, I would like you to meet your daughter, Bridget."
Tom's eyes shifted from Bridget to Pearl, to his Death Eaters and to the door. Pearl didn't need to see the Death Eaters' faces to realize that they, too, were in deep shock. Tom looked as though he wanted to run from the shop, and keep running until all his power had drained out of him and he was a hopeless teenager again. Instead, he stood his ground, glaring at the little girl as though it was her fault she was born.
"You're lying, Pearl," he said quietly. "And I don't find it humorous."
"I agree. It's not funny, Tom."
"Why didn't you try to contact me?"
"How was I to know where you were?"
"There's always ways to find the greatest wizard in the world." Tom's voice was high and mighty but Pearl stood still, fighting with every chance she had.
"I told you already, Tom. To me, you're the same old Tom Riddle I knew in school."
Taking her by surprise, he pulled out his wand and aimed it directly at her chest. When she didn't flinch, he said, "You do know that with two simple words, I could kill you, Pearl."
"I told you, Tom. I'm not afraid of you."
Slowly he lowered his wand, realizing that the girl in front of him hadn't changed a bit. The main reason he liked Pearl Shepard was because she knew what she wanted in life and she wouldn't back down to anyone. She was strong, and that's what he needed. Someone strong to be on his team, to be on his side. To help him rule all the way to glory. Changing his mind, he put his wand back inside his robes and motioned for her to move nearer to him.
Setting Bridget down she whispered, "Go play," and followed Tom's beckoning. Away from the Death Eaters and Bridget, Tom relayed his idea to Pearl.
"I know you wouldn't be doing well financially, working here," he said, gesturing around to the store.
"I don't just work here," Pearl said indignantly. "I'm marrying the owner's son. He now owns the store."
Tom's eyes flashed with pain, but he tried to cover it up as amusement. "Well, regardless, we all know the store isn't doing too well. You need help, Pearl, and I think I'm just the person." He reached out to stroke her cheek, but she moved away.
"What do you want from me?"
"Your support, Pearl. Do you really want your daughter to grow up having the life that you had?"
It hurt Pearl to think that Tom was using that against her. She had confided in him when they were in school that her whole family was poor and how they never had any money and how all of her school stuff was second hand and how she hated it all. Cringing at the memories of her childhood, Pearl looked into the back room where her daughter said, playing with her dolls, oblivious to her mother's whirling mind.
"All you have to do, Pearl, is give up that ring, give up the engagement and the happy life, and you and Bridget can come live with me and you can be my supporter." His voice was so seductive that Pearl found it hard to say no. Still, she shook her head.
"I can't."
"Fine," Tom said, standing up straight. "Have a nice life. Or makeshift life, should I say?" He turned and motioned to the Death Eaters and they exited the shop.
Glancing around the store quickly, Pearl found herself more adept to the idea. It was no secret that Voldemort's supporters got the utmost respect and lifestyles. Could she do it? Could she really give up her life with Ryan to join the dark side? Did she really want to give Bridget that kind of life?
Memories of her own childhood came flooding back to her. The year that her parents told her she might not be able to return to school for lack of funds. And because she harassed them so much about it, they rented out half of their already small house to make ends meet. How embarrassed she felt when she appeared at the school in ratty old robes and second hand books. How Tom found it in his heart to take her under his wing and make sure that she was not teased for the condition of her belongings. How he was there for her and how she loved him so deeply.
Before she could stop herself, she was running out the doorway and stopped Tom not even half way across Diagon Alley. He looked at her, a triumph look in his eyes as she frantically glanced between Bridget in the window and Tom. Back and forth, her head swayed, making her feel dizzy. Then, before she could think again, she tore the ring off her finger and said, "Fine." She pushed it into Tom's hand and repeated, "Fine." Backing away from him, she said, "Fine," again, before bursting into tears. She was completely at his mercy now.