Disclaimer: Absolutely not.
A/N: Argh, sorry if the writing in this chapter is a bit off, I don't know what happened. I'm so irritated with myself. I lost steam like halfway through and had to slug my way through the rest of it, hurr, so at times it'll be choppy as hell. Gross.
On an unrelated note, I'll be starting college this February! I got into my first preference (after several vivid nightmares about otherwise) and will be well onto the worn and tear-soaked path to medicine, much to the satisfaction of my Asian parents. Maaaaaan.
Oh, and this a brief but important reminder for those that have forgotten regarding certain plot elements that are coming back into play here but seem to have been lost amidst all the UST:
- Everyone follows a Time and Fate Strand/ Thread
- Ariadne's Time Strand is cut short
- The group have to reunite the First Locket with the Second by the 16th June, 1998- if not, all the people that the Second has been used upon will die
- Time in 1944 runs parallel to time in 1997. For example, if it is the 1st September 1944, it is also the 1st September 1997.
That's all from me now, enjoy!
Pretending To Live
Chapter 23: The One That Leaves
His fingers wrapped unconsciously around mine and I was grateful beyond belief of their bruising grip as I , at last, sealed my Fate.
"...no, no, no, that's not the point, Ron-"
"Why not?" I heard Ron's voice, loud and argumentative. "Then we could just snatch it off his scrawny neck-"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed and I stepped into their alcove between the bookcases of the Library. The figures around the table froze and their faces turned up to mine.
I whistled, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Some study session we're having."
No one laughed and I pulled up a chair, looking around at them. Ron was leaning over the table, having been caught mid argument. Hermione was in front of him and her hair looked wild as if she had been running her hands through it in frustration. Draco was in the darkest corner, his arms crossed over his chest and Harry was at the head of the table.
"Muffliato," Harry said, pointing his wand at the entrance of the alcove. "Where've you been?"
I raised my eyebrows at his rough tone. "Professor Reed wanted to talk to me about my essay after class."
The three exchanged dark looks and I said, "What?"
"Nothing," Hermione said at once and shot Harry, who had opened his mouth, a meaningful look. I didn't pursue the subject further and she continued, "We were just discussing the advantages and disadvantages-" here she directed the look at Ron, "-of knocking Riddle out with a club in the corridors to get the First Locket."
He shrugged.
I laughed but stopped when I noticed Harry's glare that was still focused on me.
"What?" I said exasperatedly.
"You weren't with Riddle?" Harry asked me sharply.
I levelled him with a stare. "Excuse me?"
"Harry," Hermione began and Ron shushed her.
"You got something to say, then say it," I said.
"I reckon you're doing something with Riddle behind our backs," he said flatly and Hermione gasped.
"Harry-"
"Is that what you think?" I said.
"Yeah," he answered, "that's about it."
"Then that's your problem," I said coldly. He narrowed his eyes and I returned the gesture.
I had been expecting something like this from Harry for some time, but that didn't make it any less awful. I knew I hadn't performed the Memory Charm on him properly; it had only been my first attempt at it after all. Evidently something in the confession I had given him had stuck, for I had been on the receiving end of odd glances and suspicious looks for the past week. It was only a matter of time before he made an outright accusation.
Ron looked doubtful but Hermione seemed to be leaning on his side- after all, I had already known that she had suspected something between me and Riddle...
"Harry, mate," Ron said amazed. "You can't be serious."
"He's my Potions partner," I said. "Of course I've been working with him outside of school hours."
I held his gaze until he broke it, looking deliberately away from my face.
"I want the Map back," he said and my mouth went dry. I stood up and he mirrored the movement with interest: he drew his wand.
Ron made a muffled sound of protest and Hermione's wide eyes travelled between us as if she were watching an invisible ping pong match.
Slowly, I pulled the Map from my robes, never breaking my stare. I held it out towards the center of the table and he stretched out a hand to take it.
Before he could however, another hand snatched it from my grip and we looked up in astonishment.
"This is ridiculous!" Draco exploded, rolling up the Map and stuffing it into his own robes.
"Give it here, Malfoy!" Harry shouted and he ignored him, looking around accusingly at the others.
"You hypocrites," he said. "I thought Gryffindors really bought into that 'loyalty' rubbish or god knows what, but you can't even trust your own friends? Are you serious?"
Ron and Hermione both looked uncomfortable and even Harry looked slightly abashed.
"C'mon," Draco muttered to me and throwing the others one last contemptuous look, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the Library.
"You didn't have to do that," I muttered and he let go. He loosed a sigh and glanced back at me.
"That got Saint Potter off his high horse, didn't it?" He looked pleased with himself. Guilt crashed down on me.
"Draco..."
"-idiots, just because they've only realized just now how close the 16th of June is-"
"Draco-"
"It's the truth, Ari," he said, cutting me off. "Don't bother lecturing me."
I stared at his back as he walked ahead of me and suddenly I felt a fierce rush of affection for this boy who was more my family than I could ever hope for.
I hooked an arm around his neck and he made an irritated noise but didn't throw it off and we walked together like this for a while.
"I don't know how many times I've said this," I told him, "but I can't say it enough-"
"Yeah, yeah, you love me," he said wearily but I caught the slight grin that pulled at the corners of his mouth.
I nudged him with my elbow. "Don't be so smug," I said but faltered when the guilt tugged at me again, the exact size and weight as the Locket around my neck.
888
I was wandering around the Black Lake. I was by myself and the school day had come to a close. I gazed out at the calm, grey waters- how had I never realized how beautiful this place was before?
I stooped down and picked one of the flowers that grew around the banks and played with it absentmindedly as my feet turned towards the path that led to the Dark Forest. I stopped by the edge and breathed in the scent of damp leaves and rotting wood. I touched the trunks of each of the trees as I passed them and stared up at the darkening sky that shone through the gaps between the tops of the trees. An owl hooted somewhere and I remembered distantly when I used to be afraid of this place.
I lit my wand and left the Forest, taking the worn stone path back up to the castle. It was warm inside and students were milling about, playing Gobstones on the stairs or hurriedly scrawling conclusions to hastily-written essays along the archways. The atmosphere was more solemn now than when I had first set foot here because of all the grief that these familiar walls had seen since then...
But even though it was more subdued, even though so many things had changed since then-including myself-it still felt like home. Charlus Potter caught my eye as he strode past and winked; I grinned ruefully back at him.
I walked aimlessly around the busy corridors; I eyed the suits of armor that decorated the halls with distaste; I marvelled again at the floating candles that rose above the House tables in the Great Hall and the enchanted ceiling that mirrored the sky outside. I recalled how it had been bewitched once to let warm and perfectly dry snowflakes fall during the Christmas Ball...
I wandered down the aisle to the platform where Dumbledore had given his welcoming speech my first night. I remembered the feeling of anxiety when the Sorting Hat had slipped over my eyes...the happiness and relief at being sorted into Gryffindor and the shock when Draco had been too...
I left the Great Hall and walked along the corridors again. I greeted and nodded to more of my classmates and even at Nora Fawley, who had made a speedy recovery and was now back at school. Her shorn hair bounced as she smiled at me and I was relieved to see that the scarring on her face had faded into a silvery sheen. My heart felt lighter as I walked past her with a 'hello'; I was smiling to myself as I turned the next corner-
And then suddenly I was all alone.
I whirled around. The students were gone; the low murmur of voices that had filled the halls had disappeared. And in their place were hundreds upon hundreds of vivid vermilion threads.
My breathing became short and ragged. This was no hallucination this time; I could feel the Threads wrapping around me, tightening and constricting around me like a cocoon...my arms were bound to my sides and my ribs felt like they were being crushed by the force behind the threads' relentless grip...I couldn't move...I couldn't breathe...
A weight fell on my shoulders and I drew in a sharp gasp. Just like that, the red fell away from everything and the sounds of students' voices returned: the hall was filled with people once more.
I shut my eyes tight.
"What is it?" Tom murmured in my ear, his hands still on my shoulders. I didn't say anything but I opened my eyes.
Yes. Still here. Still in the present. Oh, God.
I turned around to face him and threaded my fingers through his own; his face registered his surprise. I tugged him mutely away from the other students that were now beginning to stare and he followed me.
I wasn't sure where I was going- I just wanted to get as far away from the corridor as I could- and he must have realized this, because we switched so that it was him who was leading me now, his hand still anchoring mine to his. He didn't say anything about where he was taking me but every so often, he glanced back, as if to make sure that I was still there.
We stopped in front of a familiar bare stretch of wall next to a tapestry of dancing trolls and my lips curved upward. We stood in front of the wall, watching the door form there and Tom pulled the handle.
I let go of his hand as we entered. The room's setup had changed: there were only two long sofas that faced each other in front of a fireplace, with a rectangular wooden coffee table between them. Two enormous, many paned glass windows decorated the far wall so that if I looked out, I could see all of the Hogwarts grounds and nighttime sky.
I sat down on one of the couches, drawing up my knees and folding into myself as I stared into the fire. Tom took the seat across from me and watched me intently. I would have said something, but there was nothing to say. It was overwhelmingly quiet, save for a single sound.
I wondered if he heard it too. The ticking of Time.
Time.
Time equals distance divided by speed. A watchmaker would have explained the mechanics of the devices that record it- how the gears are made to move in perfect synchronization with each other, what materials give more accurate vibrations in order for the mechanism to work.
Time is something that is constantly measured and that we always seem to never have enough of of.
Time is something that governs our whole lives; each tick of each passing second is another moment of life stolen.
Time is irreplaceable.
Time is unceasing.
And time is relentless.
My hands were shaking and I clasped them together. Breathe.
In. Out.
"Would you like to play?"
I looked up at the sound of Riddle's voice; he had taken the deck of cards out from my bag that I had left on the table and was offering them out to me.
"I'm...not really feeling up to it."
"Come on, Ariadne," he said cajolingly. "We could play Go Fish. Or Cheat, or Old Maid..."
"...or strip poker?" I finished, smiling despite myself. He smirked.
"If you like," he said quietly. And then, whether by chance or deliberate choice, he loosened his tie around his neck.
I colored all the way to the roots of my hair. "Go Fish it is, then."
Tom actually laughed out loud and handed me the pack; I began to shuffle the cards. I dealt seven to both of us and left the remaining cards facedown in a stack to the side.
"I've never played this game before," Riddle said, picking up his pile.
"No," I said, staring at him. "What's wrong with you? What did you do for fun?"
"Opened the Chamber of Secrets," he said offhandedly. He caught me gaping at him and he added, "That was a joke."
"You and I need to work on that," I muttered darkly and his mouth curled upward. I put down my cards. "Okay. So, these are the rules..."
We began playing not long after and the familiarity and triviality of game was like a comfort to me; thoughts of Time were soon pushed far away from my mind. I was grinning widely because it seemed I finally found something that I was better than Riddle at, although he assured me that it was only a matter of luck and not skill.
Halfway through the game, I absently removed the First Locket from my neck and set it down on the table; it was only when I looked up from my cards that I noticed him staring at it.
"Doesn't it ever annoy you?" I asked.
"Does what annoy me?" He said absently.
"The way it burns like that?" I rubbed the red marks around my throat gingerly. "It's been like this for days now."
His hand trailed to his own neck, tracing the chain there thoughtfully. "No, not for me."
He caught my surprised look and removed his Locket, offering it to me. "See for yourself."
I touched it and flinched; it was almost brutally cold. Tom put it back on and I looked down speechlessly. The weight was back on my mind, like a black cloud and even though I stared at the cards in my hands, it was if I wasn't seeing them at all...
Time.
Time.
"Tell me," Tom said finally, after my next few turns passed in silence.
"Go Fish," I said. He narrowed his eyes and three of my cards flew out of my hand to join his lone card sitting in his palm.
"Liar," he said calmly. He set down his cards and so did I, although reluctantly. "Tell me what you're thinking."
I looked at him. He had recovered since the days he had spent in the Hospital Wing with me: his grey eyes were sharp and the circles had faded from beneath them. There was a long, white scar on the side of his neck from the cut I had given him...it disturbed me to see it there. I looked back down.
"I was thinking about Time," I said quietly. "I was wondering if it was possible for someone to have less of it than others."
"That goes without saying, Ariadne. People die all the time."
"No, not like that. I mean..." I stalled, choosing my words carefully, "...if someone was supposed to have more, but I dunno, the rest got cut off somehow..."
He leaned towards me, interlocking his fingers together. "And how would that occur?
"I don't know!" I burst out in a pulse of sudden anger. I put my head in my hands and tried to calm myself. My heartbeat thundered in my ears and I willed it to slow down...but if anything it only became more rushed and each beat signified each second that was slipping away from me...
"What you said about Time being 'cut off'..." Tom's voice, seemingly unaffected, broke into my thoughts, "...were you referring to Daedalus' theory again?"
"I have another question," I said bluntly. He frowned in mild irritation but I ploughed on, "I know by Daedalus's theory that Time and Fate run intertwined, in a straight line. But what if some event occurred that caused them to split?"
"Such as?" He said dryly.
"Time travel," I blurted recklessly and Tom's expression morphed into one of surprise, "A massive jump from future to past. Not like what we do with Ravenclaw's Locket- I mean decades. Fate and Time would split, yes? Because Time is linear and Fate isn't."
I paused but he didn't say anything; he seemed to be listening intently. "So then by that logic, there are only two Strands the time traveller can follow: Fate or Time."
"That can't happen," Riddle said firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because Fate cannot exist without Time," he explained. "What is Fate but the inevitable outcome of your life over an extended period of Time? There's a reason they run intertwined, Ariadne. In fact..." He frowned and then seemed to stop himself. "Never mind."
"What is it?"
"There's a story," he said, shaking his head. "An old myth."
"Tell me," I said and when he looked reluctant, I added, "Please."
Tom threw me an impenetrable glance, but obliged. "There was an...idea of Time and Fate being opposing forces. And that each sought to usurp the other in their fight for dominance. There was- Chronos, the Keeper of Time. And the three Fates."
Upon seeing my wide eyes, his mouth twisted ruefully and he continued, "The story went that the two coexisted peacefully once, millenia before mortals and even gods were created. As equals.
"Then one day, the Keeper did something that was unforgivable: for some reason or other, he altered Time. It was only for a single hour, but the consequences were disastrous. The girl to whom the altered Strand belonged to overslept, and she did not wake to see her lover abandon her forever on the island he had brought her to.
"The Fates were furious, for this was not what they had written would happen. But the damage was irreparable and the girl died soon after. Angered and embittered by the Keeper's betrayal, they attempted to separate themselves from his hold. However they soon found that this was not possible- as I have said before. But immortality never forgets and never fades and neither has their fury.
"And so legend goes that to this day, the Fates wait, picking and unpicking their Threads, until the hour when Time runs out and they can at last prove their authority and command over all."
His final words seemed to ring in the air long after he had spoken them. The fire that had crackled so cheerily in the room did not seem as warm as it had once been.
"Fate can exist...when Time runs out?" I whispered.
"It's just a story, Ariadne," he said impatiently. His jaw was tight and his eyes were tense as he watched me.
I ran my fingers through my hair as I went over his story again in my mind. I thought I might've heard it before...but perhaps when I was very young...
Either way, did it matter?
"You know where I was this morning?" I said abruptly and his crease between his brows grew deeper at the sudden change in subject, "I was in Hogsmeade, the day that Grindelwald attacked."
This distracted him; his eyes grew dark. I fought the memory that flickered into my mind; the fear at having what was familiar disappear and be replaced by panic, terror…of a memory that was not a memory, a nightmare that was real. "Your corpus...?"
"It doesn't matter," I said and a thrill of urgency ran up my spine. "Look, I found myself in the crowd. I was duelling one of the soldiers, and then I turned...and I saw you. You were fighting them."
Tom's expression became unreadable.
"That's why I met you in the forest that day, isn't it? You came back," I waited for him to say something but he remained stubbornly silent. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He said nothing.
"I don't have much Time," I said quietly and his dark eyes snapped to mine.
"Do you believe I'll let you die, Ariadne?"
"I..."
He got up and sat down beside me; I edged away but he caught the ends of my hair and tangled his hand into it so that I was pulled closer to him. I was forced to look back into his eyes which were a darker grey than I had ever seen them.
"Do you think I'll let you leave me?" He said quietly.
"It's not you, it's me," I whispered and his eyes darkened further. He let go of my hair but somehow my hand twisted itself around his collar, tugging him closer. My other hand hooked on the back of his robes while his own slid down to my waist; I made an surprised sound from the back of my throat and his eyes narrowed into slits. I could feel the heat from his skin mingling with my own and I noticed that his irises were solid black as he pulled my face closer to his...
Time.
"Tom," I said and he stopped, his lips only a breath away from mine. "Stop."
"Why should I?" He demanded. His voice was like gravel.
Time.
"I can't think." He exhaled a sharp sigh of annoyance and I untangled myself from him. I dragged my hands down my face, forcing my head to clear. There were so many things he needed to know, but I had no Time-
"I know that you don't have much belief in people," I said finally and he gave me an unreadable look."I know that you think that you're too corrupted, too damaged to be anything than you already are. But there is always, always some good in everyone, Tom, please don't forget that-"
BANG!
We both jumped; the First Locket slid off the table but I didn't notice; the both of us were looking in the direction of the Room's entrance.
"What the...?" Riddle muttered, drawing out his wand. He made to stand up but I stopped him, suddenly afraid.
"Wait," I whispered. I dug through my bag, pulling out an assortment of items: a hairbrush, one of Draco's shoes, a small pillow that we were supposed to be Transfiguring into kittens for homework. But the one I was looking for was conspicuously absent and I realized with horror that it was because did not have it- because I had forgotten to take it from Draco.
I didn't have the Map.
I didn't have the Map.
But Draco did.
"Wait!" I said desperately but he was already at the door. I jumped over the couch and pushed past him as he opened it and my worst fears were confirmed as I saw Draco sprawled out on the floor, his white blond hair falling into his face. My gaze flickered to the scrap of worn parchment on the floor next to him. It looked like he had tried to get into the Room by force but had been thrown back from its entrance, which explained the noise.
His pale eyes connected with mine and I stared back, petrified. I had a sudden vision of a vast, crumbling tower of cards and in that moment, the whole world narrowed down to a single point: my brother and I.
He got up slowly to his feet. "I can't believe you."
"Draco," I tried.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" He shouted and I flinched. He turned and began to stride away.
"It's not what you think! Draco-" A terrible panic spiralled into my gut and I ran after him and caught hold of his robes but he jerked away from me as though I were a leper. He turned to face me and betrayal was etched into every line of his face.
"What the hell d'you think you're doing?" He yelled. He was breathing hard. "Have you completely lost your mind? Have you forgotten why we're here?"
"No, of course not-
"He's the enemy, Ari!" He bellowed. "He's the reason everything in our time is so screwed up and YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH HIM!"
I was actually stunned into silence; my face flooded with heat and it took me a moment before I could respond. "I-what? What? Brother, that's-"
"Don't call me that!" Draco shouted. "You lied to me! You told me that you didn't go after him-"
"I'm sorry-"
"-I even defended you to Potter and his pals, my God, how stupid am I..."
"I didn't mean for it to be like this!" I yelled. My voice rang in the corridor and we both stared at each other, panting.
"Did you kill Alphard?" He said harshly.
"What-no-that wasn't me, that was..." My mouth trembled.
"Then you as good as," he replied brutally and I recoiled as though he had struck me. He turned away again and the line of his body was stiff. "Whatever, Ari. Let us know when you get your Dark Mark..."
"And you'd know all about it, wouldn't you Draco?" I said, suddenly furious. He whirled around; shock flickered in his eyes and his hand jumped to his left arm, the one he always kept covered. I had never mentioned it to him before. "Who are you to judge me? You think that by coming here and killing him everything will be alright? Your daddy will be out of prison and you'll be home with your dear mummy again?" His face contorted but I couldn't seem to stop the flow of bitter words coming from my mouth. "It's too late for that, don't you understand? You made your choice!"
A silence fell between us; Draco turned away. "Right," he said bitterly. "Fine. I hope you're happy with your choice then, Ari...you two deserve each other."
He left me there to stare angrily at his back. It was only when he was out of my sight that the resentment drained away and revulsion and horror flooded in.
"Draco!" I ran after him but soon gave up, realizing it was useless.
What have I done?
I pressed a hand to my mouth, wishing that I could seal it shut. The hairs at the back of my neck stiffened and, inhaling sharply in shock and fear, I whirled around.
He was leaning against one of the pillars, twirling his wand in between his long fingers. His eyes locked with mine.
"So." was all he said.
I held very, very still. I barely breathed.
"Time travel," he murmured to himself and the way he said it made it seem almost like a sigh. "Of course."
Something cold trickled down my spine but I couldn't speak; instead I shook my head frantically.
"I have to admit, I'm having a hard time believing it myself," Riddle said politely as though I had made a serious argument against him. "Unfortunately, I cannot deny that the idea does put certain things in perspective."
In a dangerously soft voice, he said, "Will you be the one to kill me then, Ariadne?"
I took a step towards him and then his wand was pointed at my throat. I froze on the spot.
I flicked my gaze from his wand to his eyes. I saw the incomparable anger there, the insurmountable hatred...and yet, of all things, a threat of indecision. He said he couldn't kill me. He couldn't bring himself to kill me.
But if he did...
I would deserve it.
He flinched as he read the thought in my mind, as clearly as if I had spoken it aloud; his wand lowered by a fraction. His eyes bored into mine.
Then he was turning around, his cloak whipping sharply at his heels.
Dark spots of color burst around the edges of my vision; I forced myself to take a breath and I blurted out his name. The jet of green light that flew at me as he whirled around missed me by inches; it singed my hair in its onslaught. His red eyes met my wide ones and there was a betrayal there, a nameless hurt that I wished I had never seen.
And then he was gone.
I've heard people talk about 'heartbreak' before. I just didn't think it would be so literal. But the pain was there, a raw, pulsing ache in the center of my chest.
I had to follow him. I couldn't just leave it like this, I couldn't leave him-
The pain in my chest worsened, burned like fire. I began to cough; I doubled over as I struggled to breathe. A ribbon of air twisted its way into my lungs and I choked on it. My heart pulsed in my ears and red threaded into my vision...
I fell to all fours, gasping. It was like there was an invisible hand twisting and tugging at the tail of my spine, making me arch my back in agony. My hands were shaking uncontrollably and rivulets of black liquid dribbled from my nose and mouth, eyes and ears...my Time had run out, this was it-
And then the pain was gone.
Everything was silent. I could only hear the sounds of my breath, ragged and rough, and the sound of my heart. I uncurled from my position on the floor and stood up shakily. I wiped my mouth and nose and looked around. I was in the same place, the same corridor...and yet...
"Good things come to an end."
I twisted around, my wand out but staggered backwards in shock when I saw them: three figures, dressed in drab robes of grey. All three were bald and featureless; twisted folds of ridged skin stretched over the areas where mouth, nose and ears would be. Instead of eyes, two gaping black holes stared instead, like the inside of a grave.
The first figure held what looked like a ball of red yarn in her hands; an uncoiled piece stretched between her and the hands of her sister, the second.
But it was the third figure that drew my eye, for in her hand gleamed a pair of large and wickedly sharp scissors.
It wasn't a story after all, I whispered. You're the Three Fates, aren't you?
They did not reply and I screamed, Answer me! Why are you here? Why do I keep on seeing you when my corpus-
"There is no such thing."
I stared at the third figure, the one who had spoken. What?
"Your corpus defessum does not exist."
My hand flew up to my mouth; I could still taste the bitter salt of my rotting blood. But, foolishly, I clutched at the straws they offered me.
I'm not dying?
"You are," the Third said emotionlessly. "Your body deteriorates as your Time shortens."
Said the Second, "You are nearly at the end of your Strand."
Then the First: "Time has a hold of you still."
"But not for long," replied the Third. "Perhaps an hour or so left."
"He did you a disservice, when he gave you that," the Second said, nodding at the hand still clenched tightly around my wand, "but we are eternally grateful."
The Third sister looked at me coldly and said, "We must close the circle."
And then all of them said in unison: "We'll take you back."
I moved away from them, darting my eyes between them warily. Where are you taking me?
"He's been waiting for a long time," the First murmured and my breath caught. She said something else but it sounded distorted to my ears and with sudden horror, I realized that the three figures were blurring as well and so were the walls of the corridor until they stretched into nothingness. Bright, pulsing auras surrounded me and as I tasted the copper in my mouth I was reminded, strangely, of when I had first disappeared in the deserted alley so long ago...
I tumbled into blackness.
When I came to, I was lying on a carpet that was thick with dust. I was on my back and above me was an old fashioned chandelier that emanated a soft, yellow glow over the darkened room. The furniture was antique and moth eaten, and a uniform grey color from the layer of grime and dirt that covered it. I sat up, my heart thudding as I became conscious of the fact that I had been in this room before- this was the very same room I had arrived in when I had first come to 1997. I was in Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
I rubbed my eyes. I couldn't be dreaming.
A creaking sounded from behind me and I froze, frightened with the unexpected knowledge that I wasn't alone.
Slowly, I swiveled on the spot.
There was someone there, sitting in one of the faded armchairs. His tall, skeletally thin figure shifted as a spider-like hand reached up to lower his hood-
"Hello." I looked up at the man in the doorway. He was dressed oddly, especially for the warm season. "Who are you?"
-and the face that emerged from it gleamed white in the darkness, flat and terrible as a snake's-
A flash of silver, a burst of green light and then all was red-
-and his staring, scarlet, slit-pupilled eyes-
"No! Mum-dad, please, please don't be dead-"
-locked with my terrified ones.
Then Lord Voldemort spoke in a high, cold voice that was almost a hiss.
"Hello, Ariadne."
A/N: Let me just tell you that I have been planning the next chapter ever since I started writing this story and it is such a shock to me that I'm actually about write it.
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