The shinning black box Tom sat in was a little higher than the tiers to his right and left where the plum robed members of the Wizengamot watched and waited. He had fired and replaced a large percentage of the procession while they ruled the Ministry, so the Wizengamot was secure. As such, when the Chief Warlock passed him the parchment, Tom was not surprised by the words. It was exactly what he desired.

Standing, Tom allowed his robes to flow around him in a dramatic whirl as he stared down at the skinny chestnut haired man who struggled to keep his head raised and proud. "Rabastan Rufus Lestrange," he declared his voice echoing loudly around the large and ancient chamber. "You have been found not guilty of the murder of Gellert Grindelwald."

The man sagged in his chair as the chains disappeared while the room exploded in jeers and applause. Tom kept his face blank as he watched Lestrange stagger to his feet as he almost collapsed in shock without the chains to bind him.

"Are you sure about this?" Lucius murmured softly to his right, his voice low. "Someone needs to be pinned with Grindelwald's murder. The past five accused have been acquitted."

"I know," he declared ignoring Lucius' accusation as he flicked his eyes down the list of cases that had not been decided. "Someone will be punished. I have it planned."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" he snapped losing his patience. Without saying anything, he pushed himself off his seat and slid out the door at the back of the podium. The list of the next trials was still in his hand. He knew who would be the one pinned with the crime. It was the best decision.

He assured himself that his decision was based purely on logic and professionalism.

It was the middle of the day, but Tom's eyes were still closed as he breathed in the musky scent of Bella's perfume as he rested his head in the crook of her neck.

He had given up trying to convince himself that the feeling of her naked body pressed against him was only produced by physical urges and instead he just held her close. He had snuck into her office after his business in the Wizengamot and, after taking her on her couch in front of the fireplace, neither had been in too much of a rush to move.

Opening his lips, he pressed them into the pulse point in her neck tasting the sweet taste of her skin. It was easier to act. It was easier than to open his lips and say the three words that had now continued to coarse through his body since he had come to accept his feelings.

He did love her. He thought about her constantly and only her presence could make his heart sing.

He wanted to be with her as much as he could.

He wanted her to himself.

"Tom..." she moaned softly as his hands slid up her unclothed body to clasp her tight breasts. He smiled into her throat as his nail lightly scrapped her nipple. He would have had no problem intensifying her moans if a purple interdepartmental memo had not slid through the door and fluttered onto Bella's chest.

He eyed it wearily. He knew what it would say, but her reaction was less certain.

He nipped her skin lightly to distract her, but, despite the fact she moaned softly, she pushed his hands off her breasts and lifted the slip off the memo. He raised his own head and watched as her face changed. He wanted to see her smile and her face light up.

It did not. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes went wide as she stared at him with fire in her eyes.

"Be-"

He had barely got out her name before she sat up and shoved him hard in the chest. He only fell back a small distance into the cushioned surface of the couch, but something stung in his throat as Bella continued to fume and to dress quickly.

She did not even stare back at him as she hurried from the door and slammed it behind her.

His own heart raced as he closed his eyes.

It was not the reaction he desired.

He had hoped she would be happy that her hated husband had been sentenced to death.

She ran. Her legs rocketed underneath her and her lungs pained and the only time she allowed herself to stop was the brief interlude in the lift before she reached the Ministry's holding cells. One of the Aurors tried to stop her progress but she only shoved him in the chest before she strode down the cells until she halted at her destination.

"Rod," she murmured through the bars her voice hoarse as she focused on her husband. His previous neat stubble was replaced by a complete, but his eyes were still just as blue as they stared at her coldly. "I never meant for you to die. You were meant to be released like everyone else!"

He did not say anything. His eyes were dark and hollowed as the stared at her like she was just a wall.

"Damn it Rodolphus!" she snapped anger quickly replacing her brief moment of sadness. "Talk to me!"

He remained quiet.

Gripping the coarse icon bars she screamed, "Say something!"

He did not, but someone else did.

"Bella," The voice of Lucius said, his voice oddly soft. Looking up, she gazed at the familiar blonde haired man who stood at the other end of the corridor. "It is pointless. He has not said a word to anyone."

Lucius did not ease her temper. He was just another outlet. "What did you do?" she accused immediately without considering the connection. Giving Rodolphus one last pointless glance, she stormed at the corridor to where Lucius stood. "How dare you?"

"I'm not the one to blame," he said his voice quieter than hers. "You know who is."

Her hand immediately tightened on her wand as she wanted to strike. She knew Lucius was present at the trials. She was about to scream at him until she comprehended his words.

She knew who he was referring to.

"Tom?" she murmured as if she was savouring the world and trying to comprehend it at the same time. "It was only Tom's decision?"

So caught up in her emotions she did not notice the narrowing of Lucius' eyes as he spoke, his voice soft and slow. "It was. I told him to give the death sentence to one person, but I never suspected it would be Rodolphus. I assumed he would choose someone who was less contentious and easier to link to the crime."

"I want to know why." Her voice was harsh and her eyes burned. Just so she could let out some aggression, she shoved Lucius out of the way and snarled and cursed as she stormed up to her office. She ignored Lucius' call to stay and, instead, she just moved faster.

She did not stop fuming on the long walk to her office. She growled at everyone she met and, more than once, she pushed someone out of her way.

It was not until she rammed open her doors to her office that she actually stopped.

Tom was still there.

He had not completely dressed, but he had slid back into his shirt and slacks so that only his robe was left hanging neatly and flat against the chair in front of her desk.

He looked up from where he leaned against her table and had been looked through the papers that were scattered over the surface of the desk. If she was not so distracted, she might have snapped at him for going through her files, but, as it was, she was too furious to care about something as small as that.

Slamming her door closed so hard that the frame shuddered; she did not say anything but shoved Tom hard in his chest so that he fell back onto her desk. His hands rested on her paperwork as he leaned back. She was even more furious that he seemed oddly comfortable as she loomed over him.

"How dare you!" Bella screamed her face taunt and arranged in pure fury as she shoved her open hand into his chest again. "What made you think you had the right? How dare you sentence him to death?"

"Someone had to be given that sentence," he said softly and calmly as he looked directly into her eyes. "Rodolphus just had to be-"

"Don't give me that shit, Riddle!" She barely resisted spitting in his face as her eyes glared with raw fury. "You could have chosen anyone, but you chose him! How dare you sentence my husband to death?"

She tried to back hand him, but this time he caught her wrist. The grip was painless, but it was hard enough to infuriate Bella as she fought against him. It achieved nothing and all she could do was tug uselessly.

"I thought you would have been happy that your husband will die."

"Why would I be happy about that?"

So far Tom had an answer for everything, but her biting question seemed to have stumped him. His eyes stared at her blankly for a moment and she could see his Adam's apple tense as he considered his answer.

"I assumed," he said his voice even quieter, "that you had enough of Rodolphus. I assumed you would have been pleased at the freedom and the prospect of not being trapped by a marriage."

Admittedly Bella's affection for Rodolphus was limited and being free from marriage was, in some ways, a blessing, but her fury over the fact the decision had been made by others infuriated her.

"Why would you care?" she snapped with another biting question. "Why would if I'm married or not?"

It was the same silence as before, but it stretched longer pause as Tom's hands went oddly numb and released her hands. This time she did not make any attempt to attack him. His reaction seemed to have released some of her anger.

"After all this time," he began his voice oddly hoarse, "how could I not care if you were married?"

His answer made her pause. "Why would you care? Marriage means nothing. I know you do not love me."

Tom's reaction was immediate. His body suddenly became animated as he pushed Bella hard in the ribs. She stumbled back and managed to regain her footing as she watched Tom prowl around the room before he paused near the unlit hearth.

It also managed to spark something in Bella.

Spinning on her heel she rounded on him again. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She swore to try to get a rise out of him as she grabbed him by the arm and shook him wildly. "Don't try to make me believe that you love me."

He wrenched his arm from her grip and glared at her. The anger was bubbling in his eyes. It strangely made her more comfortable to see a familiar expression on his face.

"But I do." It seemed to take all his strength to speak. His first words were loud and obvious but, as he continued, it grew softer as if he regretted his words and they caused him great pain. "I do love you."

Out of all the things she had heard today it was the most shocking. Cold, hard Tom Riddle could love? It seemed ludicrous. Half the time it seemed like he felt nothing at all and the other half seemed he was only filled with anger and lust. To hear such words made her almost want to ask him to say them again.

She did not. Instead she did the only thing she could do.

She laughed.

It was cruel and shrill as it left her mouth as she shook her head. "How could you be such a fool? Love? I hope you don't think I love you."

She was honest. She did not love him, but to watch how he recoiled from the sound of her laughter almost made her regret her reaction.

Her regret was over just as swiftly as Ton's sadness which disappeared like a flame suddenly being snuffed out. His features grew taut as he stepped away from her. He did not say anything. He only turned away and gathered his robe before he stepped towards the door.

She did not stop him. She only watched him go. She was not sure what to do.

She decided on nothing.

He should have known she did not care about him. He should have known she did not love him.

It was at least what she told herself as she collapsed on her couch.