The Golden Thread

Chapter 7: A Kiss

It seemed to Lucie that it would never happen, but eventually her life in 1943 began to fall into a regular sort of pattern. She went to classes, did her homework, ate meals in the Great Hall, and spent time with her friends just like any other student. The only small hiccup in her otherwise pleasant daily life was the nightly patrols she had to conduct with a certain Mr. Tom Riddle.

These ranged from uncomfortably silent to utterly tense. Lucie didn't know quite how to act around him. One day, he would be perfectly civil and she could almost justify her physical attraction to him, but then the next he would be brooding and mysterious, and her fear of him would increase tenfold. The boy was an enigma, to be sure, but with the rest of her life going so well, she certainly wasn't going to try and figure him out.

Lucretia Black and Eponine Bones were, of course, still a problem, but they seemed to be running out of rumours to spread, and eventually some other poor sap fell victim to the Hogwarts gossip circuit. By the time the Christmas holidays neared, Lucie's alleged relations with Edwin seemed to be old news.

A week or so before the holidays were due to start, Dippet stood up during dinner to make an announcement. The students fell silent immediately, some simply curious, others worried that he would have some terrible news about Grindelwald. Briefly, Lucie was thankful that her parents couldn't be touched by the Dark wizard.

"Students," said the Headmaster, his voice booming even without the use of magic, "as you well know, there are two wars being fought at this moment, both by our kind, and to a lesser extent, by the Muggles. As such, we have deemed it necessary to keep the castle as empty as possible over the Christmas holidays, so as not to provoke an attack."

Murmurs flared up among the tables, and it took Dippet several moments to regain control. "Now, now," continued, "I know what you are all thinking, but do not misunderstand me. An attack on Hogwarts at this time is unlikely—this is simply a precaution. I'm afraid that only students with very special circumstances will be able to remain at the castle over break. That will be all."

When Dippet returned to his seat, a roar of conversation immediately overtook the students. All of them were wondering the same thing—who would be able to stay, and would they be in any real danger?

"This doesn't sound good," said Abraxas. "Dippet may say that there's nothing to worry about, but he wouldn't evacuate the castle if he didn't have legitimate concerns." He paused for a moment, the air leaving his lungs with a woosh. "I'm just glad we all have families to go to."

"Me too," Grace replied, taking his hand and lying her head on his shoulder.

Lucie looked down at her untouched food, suddenly no longer hungry. She would have to stay at the castle, she knew that much, but what would happen to her? She'd almost rather go home and see her family one last time before Bellatrix got to her. It would be better than cowering in the past and waiting for Grindelwald to kill her.

She knew that was an impossibility, though. Even if she could return to the future, her family would look on her as a traitor, and they would hate her. It was enough to make her want to stay away, no matter what the consequences.

Lucie looked up, and her eyes met with someone's at the other end of the table. Tom Riddle. He was staring at her, as he had done when she first arrived in 1943. Perhaps he was wondering the same thing she was—would they be stuck in the castle together over Christmas?

…

The next day, a list of students who would be permitted to remain at Hogwarts for the holidays was posted on the bulletin near the House Point counters, and Lucie found her fears confirmed. Only a handful of students—less than a dozen—were on it, and Lucie only recognized her own name and Riddle's. She resisted the urge to groan. All of her friends would be gone, home with their families, and her only company would be him.

"Why are you on the list, Lucie?" asked Eileen when she saw it. "I figured you'd be going home to see your family."

"They're still in hiding," Lucie responded, thinking quickly. "They think it'll be safer for me here."

Eileen smiled, placing a comforting hand on Lucie's forearm. She, Grace, and Abraxas went up to their respective dormitories to finish packing, leaving Lucie alone in the common room. She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. She was abruptly overcome with the childish urge to cry, but bit it back. Tears would do her no good.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. With a renewed sense of determination, she sprang to her feet, wiping the unshed tears from the corners of her eyes, and hurried from the common room.

…

Tom Riddle strode down a sixth floor corridor, his robes billowing regally behind him. Things were going well, and he found himself in high spirits. He was one of the few who would be allowed to remain at the castle over the Christmas holidays, and so he wouldn't have to return to that blasted Muggle orphanage he was damned to call home. Better yet, the Selwyn girl would remain at Hogwarts as well, meaning he could move forward in his plan to have full control of her.

Things in regard to that had been progressing rather slowly, something that would have normally angered him, but Tom intentionally kept himself calm. There was something different about Selwyn, something he wanted to know, and he was willing to take all the time he needed in extracting the information from her.

He had been diligently winning the affections of Lucretia Black and Eponine Bones—not a difficult feat, he thought with a smirk—so that they may help him isolate Selwyn from her friends. If she felt alone and abandoned, she would be much easier to manipulate. Black and Bones, airheaded and irritating as they were, displayed an admirable level of cruelty, and would be of great use to him. If anyone could turn Selwyn's friends against her, it was them.

As for Selwyn herself, Tom needed to tread carefully. For reasons beyond his capability of imagination, he found himself slightly distracted when he was around her. When he saw her, he was suddenly able to think less clearly, and his thoughts all seemed to lead back to her. It was bothersome, to be sure, but it was no matter. Soon, everything would fall back into its rightful place.

"Sir, I need to know. Surely you can tell me more than 'It isn't safe'." Tom's pace slowed. That was Selwyn's voice—he would know it anywhere, it had been plaguing his thoughts for months now—and it was coming from Dumbledore's office.

Tom's eyes narrowed. Though he was careful to keep up appearances, it was no secret that he held a great dislike for the Transfiguration professor. It seemed that Selwyn and the man had a secret, and it only made his desire to control her burn more intensely. He had to know what they were talking about.

"Miss Selwyn," Dumbledore replied, "I'm afraid I have no more information for you. As I told you when you first arrived here, you will come to all the answers you seek in due time. All will be as it is meant to be. I am sorry I cannot provide you with more."

"Sir, please—"

"I know you grow frustrated, Miss Selwyn, but things are falling into place. Before long, you will begin to see things more clearly." Dumbledore sounded achingly sympathetic, and Tom's lip curled in disgust. Before he could think any more on the matter, though, he heard the click of Selwyn's shoes as she approached the door. Quickly, Tom backed into the shadows, hiding himself behind a nearby statue and waiting.

…

Lucie strode out of Dumbledore's office, feeling more frustrated upon leaving than she had when she walked in. The old man was impossibly vague—perhaps it had not been such a wonderful idea to go and see him after all. At first, Lucie had thought that if anyone could set her mind at ease, it would be Dumbledore, but apparently she'd been mistaken.

"Hello, Miss Selwyn."

With a gasp, Lucie whirled around to see none other than Tom Riddle standing behind her. Lost as she was in her thoughts, she hadn't even heard him approach. There was something in his expression, something she couldn't quite place, but it unnerved her. As he gazed at her, the corners of his mouth turned up in a triumphant smirk, and dread filled Lucie as she realized that he'd been there all along.

"I couldn't help but overhear," said Riddle, almost as though he'd read her thoughts. His tone was perfectly apologetic, but there was something lurking just beneath the surface, and it made Lucie's skin crawl uncomfortably.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Mr. Riddle," she replied, fighting to keep her tone even. If Riddle found out the truth about her, there was no telling what he might do.

Riddle's smirk grew even wider, and he stepped closer to Lucie. She backed away from him, but he did not stop his advance. "Now, Miss Selwyn, we both know that is a lie. You know very well what I'm talking about. If I were you, I'd make it easy on yourself. Tell me. Perhaps I can help."

The last part was the opposite of sincere, and Lucie knew it. She gazed up fearfully into Riddle's eyes, wondering what he would do if she ran away. By this point, they were far enough from the Transfiguration classroom that Dumbledore would not hear her if she screamed. She'd have to deal with Riddle on her own.

Then, suddenly, an idea struck her. It was so obvious—it would distract him, perhaps disorient him long enough for her to make an escape, and if truth be told, she had wanted to do it for some time now.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Lucie strode forward, not missing the momentary gleam of surprise in Riddle's eyes, put her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him full on the mouth.

He was stiff as a board, but she had expected this. The kiss was short, and she had only meant to do it, get it over with, and run the other direction. As soon as her lips touched his, though, something changed. Suddenly, she didn't want to run. She didn't ever want to move from that spot again. If she had her way, she could kiss Riddle until the end of time, just to feel that jolt of electricity.

Then, just like that, it was over. Riddle pushed her away, she stumbled backward, just barely managing to stay on her feet. When she looked up at him, she saw raw, undiluted fury in his eyes, and she'd never felt more terrified. What had she been thinking? He was surely going to kill her now.

Riddle pulled out his wand, and Lucie had to force herself not to cower in fear. A lady did not shy away from threats, but instead faced them with her head held high. That was what her family had always taught her, and she clung to it in that moment, knowing that if she did not, she would fall to the ground weeping, and would die without dignity.

But Riddle did not cast the Killing Curse, though he looked as though he would like nothing better. Instead, wordlessly, he shot a jet of red light at her, and she was thrown into the stone wall behind her. With a sickening crack, her shoulder made contact, and she fell in a heap to the ground.

Before she could stop them, tears spilled out of her eyes and down her cheeks, and suddenly she could not hold back the terrible sobs that wracked her body. Everything that had pained her—the disaster of her wedding, being thrust into a new time, missing her family, not being able to return home, her dark attraction to Tom Riddle, her current embarrassment, and not least of all the excruciating pain in her shoulder—suddenly came crashing down in one deadly tidal wave of grief. As hard as she tried, as loudly as her childhood teachings screamed inside of her head, she could not find the will to contain herself.

"Go," Riddle spat, pulling her roughly to her feet and shoving her away from him. "Get out of my sight before I kill you."

Lucie did not need to be told twice. Clutching her bleeding shoulder and feeling as though she was liable to break in half at any moment, she turned and ran. She did not stop until she reached the dungeons. She burst into the Slytherin common room, running past her friends and ignoring their bewildered looks, and threw herself violently onto her bed.

She screamed into her pillow, unable to stop the sound from ripping from her throat. Eventually, Grace and Eileen came to look for her, but she simply drew the curtains around her bed and cast a Silencing Charm.

That night was the first of many that Lucie Selwyn cried herself to sleep.