"Do you remember when we were in school and you said you wanted to make the world a better place for witches and wizards?"
Tom closes the book he was reading and looks over to Isabel. She's sitting sideways in the arm chair with her chin resting in her hand. She's looking at him earnestly with her light blue eyes.
"Yes." He answers; a little surprised by her question… she normally doesn't try to talk to him about anything.
She lowers her eyes and starts playing with the hem of her skirt. "How are you making the world a better place for us if you're killing mostly everyone?" she asks quietly, hoping it doesn't anger him.
He stands up and puts the book back on the shelf. "Some of us don't understand what it is to be magical. We have so much power and we shouldn't have to hide it from dirty muggles just so they don't get jealous." He walks back to his seat and faces her. "You're either with the cause or you're against it."
Her brow scrunches up and a frown graces her face. "You didn't answer my question." She points out. "You know violence isn't the only way."
He smirks and relaxes into his chair. "Sometimes it is." He says. "Look at you, my little peace lover." He winks at her totally amused.
She narrows her eyes at him. "I just don't understand why you have to kill… and torture, so many, especially when they're wizards and witches, because how are you making the world better for them if you're killing them."
He sighs loudly. "Some times you have to shed blood before you can make change. The muggle lovers like Dumbledore think we should bow down to the foul creatures and hide what we are. We shouldn't have to do that. We're the most powerful race on the planet, Isabel, we should rule the world. If I have to kill a few mudbloods along the way to that I don't mind."
She scowls at his answer and faces the fire again. The past few days he's requested that she constantly be by his side. She doesn't know why she has to be by him while he reads or talks to his followers. It's pretty boring actually so she finally broke down and tried to have a conversation with him. He's so prejudice that it's barely worth it.
"What's with the face, kitten? Do you not agree with me?"
"No, I don't." He cocks his head to the side so she elaborates. "I don't think you should have to fight a war with your own kind just to 'liberate' us magical people. I think it runs deeper then that for you."
"Whatever do you mean?" he asks lightly with a smirk playing on his lips.
"You just want to be in charge and you use that as a backing to reel in followers."
He smiles at her. "You may be right." He stands up so he's towering over her. "but I don't need to explain my motives to a silly little girl like you." She glares at him as he puts his hands on either side of the arm chair caging her in under him. He lowers his head and kisses her lightly on the mouth. "We're going to bed." He says against her lips.
Her eyes flick to the clock on the wall. "But you said I could visit Ginny at eight."
"I lied."
He grabs her hand and walks her all the way to the bed room. She reluctantly follows with an annoyed look on her face.
"There's going to be a celebration tomorrow." He says as he closes the door behind them. "I expect you to behave and look happy for my followers."
She rolls her eyes when he's not looking. "I've become quite the actress since I've been here." She says softly.
He turns to her and gives her a warning glare. She bites her lower lip nervously under his gaze, not wanting to make him angry. She could handle it when he was mean to her but when he hurts someone else because of her it hurts her worse. He probably knows that. She takes timid steps towards him unable to look at his rough glare and gives him a shy kiss on the lips.
"Sorry," she mumbles when she pulls back.
"You say that so often I hardly believe you mean it." He says to her while unbuttoning his shirt.
"At least I'm able to apologize." She counters unable to hold back her temper.
He smirks at her. "Are you trying to hint towards something?" he asks.
She puts her hands on her hips and straightens her shoulders. "Yes, you are such a…" his eyes flash red and she backs down unable to call him the bad name she was planning on. She turns away from him and stomps towards the bed.
"What am I?" he asks her with a voice laced in malice. She doesn't answer so he walks over to her and forces her to look at him. He grabs her chin. "Why don't you finish that sentence?"
She tries to move her head but he tightens his grip. "Why are you so mean!?"
He starts laughing a humorless laugh. "Oh, my lovely little Isabel… You haven't seen the mean side of me yet." The way he says that makes her shiver. He studies her face with his head cocked to the side. "We could always change that if you'd like."
She shakes her head no to show she doesn't want that and it makes him smile. "Good," he says. "Now get on the bed."
X
"Don't look at him again."
"Who?"
Tom nearly growls and he digs his fingers into her thigh causing her to wince. "You know very well who I mean and if you look at him again I'll have his handsome face torn off. Then you can explain to his parents why it happened."
Isabel takes her eyes off of the cute dark haired boy and stares at her shoes. She's been watching the younger guy as soon as he came into the ballroom. He looks like someone she used to know but Tom caught sight of her quizzical stare and immediately jumped to the wrong conclusions.
"Do we have to sit here all night?" she asks trying to change the topic of conversation.
They've been sitting on two throne-like chairs at the end of the hall watching everyone else have a good time. Every once in a while someone will come up to talk to Tom and congratulate him but mostly he's been watching everyone with a smug expression on his face as he drinks wine from a golden goblet.
"What would you rather do?" he asks while looking at the dancing couples in front of them.
She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know… dance?"
He snorts into his glass. "Right." He says sarcastically. He's only ever danced once in his life and that was with her at Hogwarts right before he killed her boyfriend and staged her death.
She sighs loudly and puts her chin in her propped up hand. "Can I dance with someone else then if you won't?" she asks quietly.
He shoots a glare at her. "We both know the answer to that."
"My Lord." A middle aged woman with brown hair bows her head and bends her waist towards Tom.
He takes his glittering eyes off Isabel and turns to the woman before him. "Mrs. Parkinson." He greets her with a cool detachment.
She stares at the floor not meeting his eyes. "Congratulations on your fantastic victory against the Order of the Phoenix." She says with a smile and he waves a hand to show he heard her as he looks over her head obviously bored. He's so rude Isabel thinks to herself. "My Lord if I may?"
"What?" he snaps annoyed that she hasn't left yet.
"My daughter Pansy and some other girls her age are going to retire to the other room."
He raises an eyebrow. "Why do I care?" Isabel rolls her eyes at his cold behavior. Why do these people listen to him if he's so mean to them?
"W-well My Lord, I thought your Lady would like to spend time with girls her own age for a while." She says.
Isabel's blue eyes light up and she sets up a little straighter. She had watched the teenage girls all night with a sort of envy in her eyes. At seventeen she's been forced into this adult world and she longs to be around people like her again, like back at Hogwarts. She turns to Tom who's staring down at the older woman with an unreadable expression. Then he narrows his eyes. He's going to say no! Isabel looks at him pleadingly and places her hand on top of his. She knows he wouldn't like it if she said she wanted to go out right but if he allowed her to then that would be wonderful. He sends her a heated look and then looks back at the woman before them.
"Do you not think I am entertainment enough?" he asks Mrs. Parkinson snidely.
Isabel's heart drops. He's not going to let her go…
Her face flushes. "Oh, no no of course not! That's not what I meant, My Lord. You are wonderful company."
"Then why would you suggest that my wife lower herself and spend time with a gang of adolescent giggling girls when she's sitting by my side." His voice becomes colder with every word but Isabel only heard the word wife… Was she his wife? He never actually called her that before. Tom's angry voice brings her out of her thoughts. "Go away and never suggest such an insulting thing to me again."
The woman bows again and the retreats in almost a run. Isabel lets go of his hand and crosses her arms. "I want to go to my room." She says.
"Not yet." He signals for a refill of his goblet and relaxes back into his chair.
She wishes she could slap him. "Why do I have to stay here?"
"We're celebrating." He says flatly.
"Yes it's quite the party." She says sarcastically. "and I'm not your wife." She adds as an afterthought.
A smirk grazes his face and he leans over towards her. "Now, whatever gave you that idea, love?"
"You never asked me and I'm not wearing a ring."
"Those are trivial things… but I could get you a ring if you really wanted one." he laughs at her annoyed face. "Come now, what did you think that bonding ritual was for? We've been living as man and wife for a while now… or did you think that's how all people lived?" He gives her a lustful wink.
She looks him straight in the eyes. "I don't like you very much."
This time he laughs out loud. "You wouldn't be the first." With a huff she turns her head and doesn't notice him frown at the end of his sentence.
The room becomes hotter and louder as more people drink and move around the floor. Isabel fans herself with her hands but then gives up and slumps against the back of the chair. She's starting to sweat and get uncomfortable and the heavy dress she's wearing is doing nothing to help her situation.
"Can I go outside for a moment?" she asks him in her sweetest voice possible.
He eyes her suspiciously up in down, taking in her flushed cheeks and the light sheen of sweat of her forehead. He looks down at his watch. "I'll give you five minutes." He says. She smiles in relief and stands to go but stops when he grabs her wrist. "If you're not back in time I will come and find you." He says calmly with a voice laced in a threat.
She nods her head to show she understands and walks towards the two large glass doors that lead to a balcony. When she opens the doors she closes her eyes as the cool air wipes across her face, cooling her red cheeks. She takes in a deep breath and walks toward the railing where she places her hands and looks out across the grounds that's lit by the pale moon light.
Footsteps come up behind her and she closes her eyes. "It hasn't been five minutes." She says thinking its Tom.
"What do you mean?" asks another youthful voice.
She turns around and is face to face with the dark boy she had gotten in trouble for staring at earlier. "Oh," she says nervously. "I'm sorry I thought you were someone else." She makes to walk past him but he blocks her.
"What's your name?" he asks her quietly. She looks up at him. Shouldn't he know her name? She's been with his leader after all. He smiles as if he read her mind. "I only know to call you My Lady, so I was wondering what your real name was."
"It's Isabel." She says and then studies him again.. he does look like someone familiar. "Who are you?"
He holds out his hand. "Blaise Zabini." He says.
She takes his hand timidly and he kisses it causing her to blush. "Are you related to Quintan Zabini?" she asks while snatching her hand back.
He smiles again flashing perfectly white teeth. "He was my grandfather." He says proudly. "How did you know him?"
I went to school with him, she says in her head but not out loud. "I should get back." She says not wanting to give Tom a reason to be angry… he's always so angry all the time. It must be exhausting.
"Wait." He says with a hand on her shoulder. "I wanted to talk to you."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Fine, but I have to tell you something." He says slowly. He bends down so that his lips are by her ear. "I was there that night," he says huskily. "In the bonding room… I saw you, all of you…and I haven't been able to think of anything else."
She flushes red all over her body, so he's seen her naked. She's about to say something when the glass doors bang open.
"What are you doing?" asks Tom coldly from the doorway.
"I was just coming inside." She says and walks away from Blaise who is standing much too close to her.
Tom glares at her and then turns to Blaise. "And you?" he asks. "What were you doing?"
He bows down. "Just talking, My Lord."
Tom gives him an unpleasant smile. The stupidity of youth he thinks to himself. He then looks the younger boy directly in the eyes to search his mind… He doesn't like what he sees. He shouldn't be thinking those type of thoughts about someone who belongs to him.
Isabel watches as Blaise scrunches up his face in pain while Tom glares at him intently. What's he doing? The boy falls to his knees after a while and Tom shakes himself out of the weird daze he was in. His eyes are flaming scarlet as they rest on her.
"Go to your room. I'll deal with you later." He tells her
Thoroughly confused about what's going on she walks past him and quickly goes to her room. She doesn't hear Tom curse Blaise, nor does she hear Blaise scream.