Chapter 13 – Holiday
Serena stepped into the house, dropping her bags on the floor.
"Ann," Her father bellowed. "We're back." Serena's mother quickly ran down the stairs to greet her daughter.
"Serena, how are you?" Her mother asked as she embraced her.
"I'm fine," She said, "How are you?"
"I'm fine. How was your trip?" Her mother asked.
"It was ok. I'm really happy to be home," Serena said. "Is Melanie home?"
"I think she's upstairs," Her father said.
"Great, I think I'll go say hello, if you don't mind?" Serena said. Her parents shook their heads and, shedding her coat, she raced up the marble stairway to see her younger sister.
"Serena!" Melanie cried as Serena entered her room. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Serena said, "You?"
"Fantastic. I love being on holiday," Melanie said.
"Oh so do I," Serena agreed.
"So, what's new?" Melanie asked her.
"Not too much," She said, sitting down on her sister's bed. They spent the hour gossiping and catching up before heading down to dinner.
The days went by quickly for Serena. She couldn't be happier to be back at home. Christmas came with much excitement, and left with much satisfaction. Serena received many presents, all of which she adored.
She didn't receive any letter from Tom over break, not that she had really expected too. He really wasn't the type to send a girl letters. In fact, he wasn't the type to give a girl a ring, and that made her wonder. "Wear it, and people will know you belong to me." That's what he had told her. He wanted her to belong to him, he wanted to own her. Why? Did he just want her for her body then? She actually snorted out loud. 'I am so naïve,' She thought to herself. She shouldn't have doubted it. Tom wasn't the person to want a relationship with her for any other reason than for sex. He had even told her that.
"You're just going to keep me then, to fuck whenever you want?" She asked, her eyes turning back to him. He smiled.
"Pretty much," He said. God she was so stupid. How could she ever think that he may come to care for her. Tom was cruel, mean, manipulative and calculating. She was nothing more than a means for his sexual release. She clenched her teeth and rolled over, bringing the ring back up to look at it again. Then why had he given her this ring? And why did she feel as if any hope of ever escaping Tom's grasp flittered away when she put on his ring. It was as if she would never be able to take it off, in a figurative sense.
And what did she think she was doing, sleeping with Tom Riddle? He was dangerous. He was powerful. Too powerful. She could be dead any minute she was with him. But then why was she with him? He scared her, his power scared her. But then, she thought as she rolled over again, it also seduced her. Try as she might, whatever she may think to do to change their relationship, she knew that if he still wanted her, he would have her. And try as she might, she couldn't be able to resist him if she tried.
She slammed his ring on the table and rolled over, pulling her blanket up close around her. She thought again about the attacks. He had felt no remorse for them. But hadn't he told her that they weren't the first he had killed? Who had been before? And why? And what about the matching ring to the one he had given her. He had said he'd hidden it, but where? And why? What had made him so evil?
She rolled over again. Taking a break from her thoughts she started at her candle. Its single flame flickered quietly in it's bright orange haze. Shadows danced in the pool of melting wax. Why did she have to fall for him? She asked herself. And how? Sighing, she reverted her gaze back to the candle. Eventually it put her to sleep, though thoughts still filtered through her head.
Heather and Eve came to visit the next day, so it left Serena with no time to revisit her thoughts of the night before. Not that she really wanted to revisit them, they were more that what she wanted to burden herself with. It felt good to see her friends again. They were the same as ever, enjoying the holidays and they soon became caught up in discussing Christmas presents and gossiping. They stayed over at Serena's house for the next couple days before they left to finish their break at home. It'd been over a week and each day brought them closer to when they must return to Hogwarts. Finally, with two days left before returning to school, Serena climbed up to the attic to find Tom's present.
With a few coughs, Serena waved her hand in front of her face, trying to clear away some of the dust. She stepped around cloth covered tables, chairs and boxes to the end of the attic. Setting the candle down on a box next to her, Serena kneeled on the floor in front of another box. With great care, and many sneezes, she removed the cloth covering it. Then, she opened its flaps and picked up her candle again to shine in the box. Not seeing it, she moved around some of the dusty books and smaller boxes until she found what she was looking for. Setting the candle down, she reached inside and pulled it gently up into the light. Another sneeze.
She set the dark, aged book on her lap and dusted it off until the gold letters and stones on it became visible. She opened it slowly, removing more dust and ran her fingers over the pages. Her fingers tingled as she flipped through the pages. Strong magic. Taking great care not to damage it, she hid it in her satchel. She quickly cleaned up the boxes and replaced the cloth before taking her candle once more and slipping back down onto the stairs to the main levels of her house.
She took her satchel back into her bedroom where she transitioned it from the bag to a sturdy box. She laid it by her trunk and school things before she left to meet her sister who was calling her.
The rest of holiday passed very quickly and it seemed like no time at all before she was back standing at the platform of 3 and ¾ with her friends, waiting for the train. Soon the train came and they were crowded onto it, trying to find a cabin for themselves.
Serena sat in their cabin, staring out at the landscape that passed them by. Sitting in the cabin, she couldn't help thinking back about the last time they were here, heading to school. She smiled at the memory.
"You guys remember when we were here at the beginning of the year?" Serena said.
"Yes! And how Eve ran out to yell at Tom in his bra and all he could do was stare!" Heather said laughing. Eve joined them in laughing, while she turned slightly red.
"It was pretty funny," She said.
"It was hilarious!" Serena said, as they all laughed. She looked back out the window, thinking how much things had changed.
0-0-0-0
They reached Hogwarts late in the evening. The students made their way up to their rooms to relieve themselves of their luggage before catching up with all their other friends who they hadn't seen since before break. Serena didn't seek out Tom, because that was just too much effort, but ended up meeting him in the hallways anyways.
"Tom!" She cried, running over to him.
"Serena," He greeted her. She hugged him, happy to see he wasn't off sneaking around in the dungeons planning something, although Merlin knew how often he did that while everyone was away. He kissed her, his pent-up lust obvious in the way he did, making her lose her breath.
"Did you have a good break?" She asked him.
"Well enough. I got work done," He said. She rolled his eyes. He was the same as ever, and although that wasn't necessarily a good thing, it was comforting.
"And you?" He asked.
"It was fine," She said. They made their way to the great hall together for dinner, and Serena promised she'd meet him tomorrow. They ran up to bed after dinner, happy to be back at the castle with all their friends. They had the next day, Sunday, off as to prepare for the start of school, so the girls stayed up late talking and catching up, before finally falling asleep.