Chapter 29 – Consumed by Shadows

Immediately she could sense a presence. Yes, there was definitely somebody there, and she could barely make out a shape sitting in the corner of her room. But as soon as these thoughts entered her mind, her wand soared out of her hand, and her door shut on its own. Serena froze, unarmed now, her lips trembling.

"Who's there?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"Good evening, Princess."

Serena froze, her whole body shaking.

She recognized the voice.

The room was dark, but the moonlight sprinkling through the windows offered her enough light to make out a dark shape, sitting in the corner of her room. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and she wasn't sure if she was scared or happy. Maybe some of both?

"Tom?" She called out into the darkness.

"I do not go by that name anymore," Said the voice. Serena saw the darkened shape stand slowly, and stalk towards her.

"Sit."

Serena opened her mouth as if to speak, but decided to wait and do as she was told. Besides, her legs were starting to feel shaky and she didn't know how much longer she could stand on them. Was it really him? She could hardly believe it.

She sat on the edge of her bed, across from where he stood, and waited.

"It's been a long time," He said quietly. His voice carried no emotion whatsoever. It was eerie, and a bit disconcerting.

"4 years," Serena whispered, staring at the ground.

"4 years," He repeated. "I think you look more beautiful than I remember. And that's hard to believe."

Serena blushed, not sure what he was playing at.

"I have to admit, it was a shock to come back and find out you were involved with someone else. Tell me Serena. Do you always so lightly disregard the promises you've made?" He asked. Serena could feel herself flush redder, even in the darkness. She knew what promise he was talking about, but kept her mouth closed, unsure of what to say. She knew he had killed Harry already and she wasn't sure if she herself were not in mortal danger.

"Answer me." He ordered, a hint of emotion filtering through. She looked up to where she saw the shadow of his face was.

"Tom," She started.

"Do not call me by that name," He said. She sighed, embarrassed and still freighted.

"I have not forgotten nor disregarded the promise I made to you," She said, raising her eyes up to meet his.

"Don't lie to me!" He snapped, before quickly collecting himself again. In a calm, quiet voice, he proceeded. "Tell me the truth. " Serena stood up.

"I did not," She said, strongly, "ever cheat on you. Yes, I won't lie, I let him take me out to lunch. That was it. But tell me Tom, after 4 years, how did you expect me to think you'd still come for me? I waited for you, Tom, but you never came. I wonder if you would have ever come if I hadn't shown the smallest attention to someone else."

"So you admit then, you had an interest in him," He replied. Serena shook her head.

"I was only doing it because everyone told me to. They all had boyfriends or love-interests, but not me. And they asked me "Why won't you go out with anyone?" What was I supposed to say, Tom? "I'm waiting for someone who will never come"? They would not have believed it for one, and for another, they wouldn't have cared. I'd hope you can still believe me when I tell the truth Tom, because I'm telling you it now. I did it for them. Deep down I was always waiting." Serena said.

"I'm disappointed in you Serena. I would have thought you could've come up with a better excuse than that," He said.

"Don't ask me why if you won't even try to understand," She shouted.

"You knew I would come for you!" He said. "Why didn't you wait?"

Even in the darkness, Serena could see his eyes glowing intensely.

"Why didn't I wait?" She asked him. "What have these past 4 years been? You know, the summer after school ended, I spent my days dreaming idealistically of how you would come back and take me away. Every morning I would take care to dress myself nicely and diet so that I didn't get too fat for you. Every morning I thought would be the day you would arrive. But when summer ended, you still hadn't come.

"Do you know how depressed I was after that? I mean, I thought you knew me, and you know how low my self esteem is. I barley ate the next month, and spent my days drinking too much alcohol and pretending I was interested in the work I was doing. But I still hoped, still dreamed that you would come. The next year, I made sure to work close to home so that you could find me easily. Several guys asked me out, but I turned all of them down. My friends started to wonder about me, but I just made up excuses, saying the men were mean, or fat or that I just didn't like them. But then that year had gone, leaving me still alone and unhappy.

"It was around then I started thinking that you probably weren't going to come at all. It seemed like something you would do too: Fuck with my mind and make me think you might actually care about me, and tell me to wait with no real intention of returning. So I took a job with Eve at her aunt's store, and I actually found that I enjoyed it-- to a degree. But I still wasn't completely happy." Serena paused. Tom was staring at the ground, listening. Serena's eyes started tearing.

"And you know why, don't you? Because I was waiting, dreaming for the day the man I loved to would come back for me. Dreaming for him to tell me that he actually did love me too, and that he was wrong about his career choice, that he was sorry and that all he wanted was to be with me. I loved you. I don't know why, or how, but I did. I still do. But I guess it doesn't matter now does it?" She asked. "I didn't let myself become obsessed about it, because I never thought it would happen. But now that it has, I have to wonder if it was because you truly wanted me, or because of Harry. If I had never gone out with Harry, which I only did once, but if I hadn't, would you have still come for me? Tell me, honestly, Tom, because I don't know that you would have."

"I would have," Tom said softly.

"Would you have?" She asked quietly, a tear slipping unnoticed down her cheek. Tom looked up.

"How can you say that?" He asked her. "Did you honestly believe I wouldn't?" Serena looked at the floor.

"It was 4 years," She said. "I'm not that pretty, I wouldn't have blamed you."

"Serena, stop that. How could you doubt me? Doubt us?" He asked, his dark, violent eyes searching her watery ones.

"I just didn't think you would come back for me," She whimpered, a tear leaking out of her eyes and trickling down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Tom stepped forward and lifted her chin so that she faced him. His eyes caught hers.

"If nothing else, I would have come back for you. You, Serena. It just took me awhile," He said. Her eyes were wide and she searched his to see if he was lying to her. He just stared back.

"Oh Tom!" She sobbed, falling into his chest, crying softly. It was a moment before she felt his arms around her, squeezing her gently. She had never felt anything so comforting as the feel of his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," She said, pulling away and flicking her teary eyes back up at him. "I don't know where you've been, or what you've been doing these past few years. But I don't care. Even though I didn't think you were going to come for me, I was still true to you.

"I have never been unfaithful. These lips," She said, more tears in her eyes. "They have never met anyone else's. No one has touched me Tom, not since you," She looked down at the floor for a moment, before glancing back up. "If you still wanted me Tom, I'm still yours. I've always been." She whispered, her brown, doleful eyes searching his.

He searched hers as well. Slowly, he brought his hand up and wiped away a tear that was falling. His hand lingered on her cheek for a moment and Serena closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his touch. His hand slowly moved from her cheek to trace her lips. She opened her eyes and held her breath, her heart beating faster. His hand slipped down to her neck and he bent in slowly, his lips hovering a moment above hers. Serena closed her eyes as she felt his kiss.

It was slow and gentle, almost unsure. She kissed back, though a bit shy. It had been so long, but the fire of passion between them had not dimmed.

As the burning inside her steadily built, his kisses became harder, more demanding. His hands had snaked around her waist, pulling her in closer. Her arms circled around his neck, and she clung to him. She couldn't think. She couldn't consider if what she was doing right now made sense, because the better thing would probably have been not to kiss him. But she couldn't care. She was following her instincts, but maybe later she'd wonder if she even really had a choice.

Their passion grew so much, that it wasn't long before they were lying on the bed, exploring the bodies they both knew so long ago and reclaiming the passion they had both known so well.

Afterwards, they both lay, spent, in each other's arms. Serena laid her head against his chest, eyes closed, not thinking, just resting. He took up her hand and looked at it. On her ring finger sat the onyx ring he had given her 6 years ago. It sat there, winking at him in the moonlight, like it had so many other times before.

"I didn't realize you were still wearing this…" He said. She smiled against his chest.

"I've never taken it off." She said. They were silent a few minutes.

"Tom…where did you go? After school ended?" She asked.

"For a year I worked at Borgin and Burkes," He said. Serena gasped.

"The one on Knockturn Alley?" She asked. He laughed softly at her shock. She rolled her eyes. "Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised…But why did you quit?"

"Well…After I killed Hepzibah Smith, I disappeared and – " He said. But Serena had gasped again.

"Thomas! You killed her? Wasn't she that rich, old, eccentric woman?" She asked. Tom nodded.

"I thought her house elf had done it?" Serena asked.

"No, but it was a good cover up, wasn't it?" He asked. Serena closed her eyes and tried to suppress her sickening feeling.

"And after that?" She asked, yawning.

"I just wandered around, going to strange, dark places, honing my skills, gathering followers…" Serena nodded, and yawned again. Tom smiled at her and kissed her once on the forehead. Serena tried to keep her eyes open, but it wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Tom lay with her in his arms. He didn't sleep, he was not tired. He traced her arms, stomach, and hips, marveling in the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips. It had been so long. He got up and picked his clothes up off the floor before changing back into them. As he finished, he stole a glance at his sleeping beauty. She was so beautiful, sleeping peacefully with her hair cascading down her shoulders. He hated to wake her, but knew it was time to go, before the others came home. He walked back over to the bed and knelt down beside her, kissing her gently.

"Serena, you need to get up," He said. She fluttered her eyes open and frowned for a split second, before she broke into a huge smile.

"It wasn't another dream then," She said, sitting up and facing him. She ran her hands along his chest, and he wished he hadn't put his clothes back on already.

"You're really here, aren't you?" She asked, looking up into his smoldering eyes. He smirked that arrogant, smug grin that she remembered so well and her heart fluttered.

"I'm here." He said, taking her hand and kissing it. "But it is time we were leaving."

She frowned.

"Where are we going?" She asked, as he got off the bed and held a hand out to help her out. She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up.

"You'll see. Now get dressed," He instructed. She looked at him for a minute more before running and picking up her clothes. She changed quickly.

"Do I need to take anything with me?" She asked.

"Unless there's something you'd like. You might need some clothes, but then again," He said, smirking, "you might not." Serena rolled her eyes, smiling. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a shoulder sac with which she filled some clothes. She walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer, taking out two small jewelry boxes: the ones in which she kept Tom's other presents. She placed them in her sac and shut the drawer. She sighed.

"I guess that's it…" She said, glancing around her room.

"Are you ready my Princess?" Tom asked, extending his hand. She looked over at him. He looked as handsome as ever. His raven black hair was a bit a mess and he stood in darkness, the light of the night shinning in through the window around him. He smiled at her, a cold, seductive smile that made her knees weak. Her heart beat in her chest. She couldn't believe that he'd actually come back for her! Yes, he killed Harry, obviously, and she was a bit sad. She didn't know where she was going, or if she'd ever be back. She didn't know when she'd see her home and family again. Or when she'd see Heather and Eve, but she couldn't care. Right now, it was like her dreams had come true. Harry had asked her the same question earlier. Was she ready? This time, she knew she was.

She slipped the bag's strap over her shoulder and walked over to Tom, taking his hand. He smiled and pulled her in close. She looked up at him.

"Take me away my Lord," She said. He smirked and the next instant, they were gone.