Thunder seemed to be getting closer. What was once faraway echoes now seemed to be right on top of them.

Evelyn wrapped her arms around her legs and began to rock herself. It seemed to be the only way she could calm the fear within her. She rested her chin on her knees and murmured to herself. "Your name is Evelyn Arcturus Black, daughter of Regulus Black. You're eighteen. Your birthday is January 1st. You go to Hogwarts. You are a Slytherin. Your boyfriend's name is... was Tom Riddle." Was because right now, it seemed like he was all too willing to throw her to the wolves. He wasn't there and he promised he'd always be there.

"Your cousin's name is Mattheo Riddle. You are a seventh year. You like reading. You're scared of thunderstorms."

She had to keep reminding herself who she was. Otherwise, she'd forget and lose herself to all that she had been through. She'd lose herself to the memories of Locke and Key using her body in ways that haunted her.

Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her on the cot. The room was dark from the impending storm and yet it seemed a little lighter in that moment. He didn't say anything, not until she did. "I'm getting out today," she murmured. I'm going to die today, is what she meant.

Regulus looked at her gently, the way you would look at a wounded rabbit. He was a hallucination, caused by her fraying mental state and lack of real food, but he was there. Her father was there. She wasn't completely abandoned.

It was funny. Sometimes, it felt like the visions of her father appearing next to her were the only thing keeping her sane. He talked her through things, told her how what was happening to her wasn't her fault or Tom's, wasn't anyone's fault but Locke and Key's. He told her how her body wasn't any less valuable because of what happened. He told her how she was still Evelyn, still his little girl, still so loved. Regulus's words weren't much but they were what she needed to stay calm even under so much duress. She wouldn't say that she was okay—far from it—but she at least kept her head together. For now.

He looked over at her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love you," he whispered. "I didn't get to tell you it for so long, not until you unlocked that little bit of magic keeping you from me. No matter what happens today, I love you."

He fixed his shaggy black curls and sighed. "I think you will get out today, sweetheart. I... I've done all I can. Now we just have to hope it was enough. But on the off chance that it's not—" He reached over and placed his hand on hers. "—it will be alright. We'll be together again. I know I wasn't there for birthdays or to buy your first wand but I'm here now."

The bitter sting of tears filled her eyes just as her vision went blurry. "Please stay with me."

He smiled gently. "I never left."

And Evelyn sighed, knowing that whenever that dungeon door opened, it would be for the last time.

At least she thought that until she heard voices.

"What do you mean he's here?" Key hissed. "Did you fucking call him?"

"No, it was like I said!" Locke said in a panicked voice. "He's the bloody storm!"

Tom. And suddenly Evelyn's heart began to race and her stomach fluttered and her body heat rose. Hope. That was what she felt. Maybe he hadn't abandoned her after all. Maybe all of this time he was actually searching for her.

Regulus grinned. "He's here."

"Did you... do this?"

He shrugged. "You'd be amazed what sort of hints a ghost can leave."

She smiled and threw her arms around him. "Thank you."

His hand tightened with her back. "I told you. I never left." Footsteps thundered on the ceiling before she heard the tell-tale sign of boots coming down the stairs. Regulus pulled back and looked at her with eyes much wiser than a seventeen-year-old. "Sweetheart, listen to me. They're going to take you somewhere else now. Whenever you find Tom, you go to him and you stay with him."

She nodded. "What if I can't get to him? What if they hold me back?"

"He'll find a way, Evelyn. He will."

Silence. Then, "I love you, dad."

Her father cupped her cheek and she leaned into the touch. He smiled down at her. "I've always loved you." And then he disappeared.

Locke and Key burst into the room. "Get up!" Key sneered. "We're leaving."

She didn't have the heart to question anything, not if it meant risking another beating. Locke walked over and undid the cuffs binding her to the cot. Evelyn rubbed her wrists before attempting to stand only to find her body collapsing from all of the torment.

A boot landed in her side. "Get up, bitch." And then one of them yanked onto her hair and began to pull—Locke, she guessed, from the long bony fingers. She wished she would never be able to tell the difference between them but those hands haunted her more than the others.

Evelyn forced her body to walk. One foot after the other after the other until they were outside in the harsh weather. She was wearing a white short-sleeved nightgown that went to her mid-calf. It wasn't conducive for walking, especially in these conditions. Her feet almost immediately became numb—especially without shoes to protect them—and her body shivered. The rough winds from the storm didn't help.

It felt like it had been ages since Evelyn had last seen the sun. Had it really only been a week? How had so much happened already?

"Quicker!" Locke hissed, pulling on her scalp again. Evelyn couldn't help but cry out. How had he not ripped out her hair? How was she still standing when her body ached desperately?

A bright bolt of lightning hit one of the trees in front of them and they halted, both men gasping at the otherworldly sight. There was a loud boom behind them. Evelyn turned to see where it came from only to feel her knees weaken.

Tom.

. . .

Tom marched to the safe house. It felt like years had passed since he'd last been there. He knew it well enough to know as soon as he stepped inside that it was empty.

He growled and made his way to the familiar basement. It looked the same. Same stone, same dim light, same dried blood from his "escapades" weeks ago. The only difference was the chains on the cot and the mussed-up sheets. He strolled over to them only to find a long black hair lying on the hard surface.

His fist immediately clenched. She'd been here. This was where they held and fucking tortured his darling. Those bloody fools deserved to die the slowest, most painful death he could provide. They—

"Tom, calm down," a small voice said from next to him. "You're making shadows appear."

"They fucking hurt her," he seethed to his brother. The only reason Mattheo was here was for Evelyn. His brother insisted on coming to rescue her and Tom had reluctantly agreed when he realized that someone would need to keep an eye on her while he tore the wizards limb from limb.

"Calm down and use your brain. What do you notice?" Mattheo didn't wait for his answer before continuing. "There isn't fresh blood anywhere so whatever they did, she's probably still alive and able to move. There was a plate and glass by the door so she's been fed and given water. The door was left open so whenever they left, they did so in a hurry, which means that it probably wasn't long ago. And the bloody idiots didn't even try to hide their tracks in the grasses so we know which way they headed and how many of them there are."

Tom stared dumbfounded. Since when was his brother the reasonable one? Since when was Tom the one that lost control of his emotions? Since Evelyn was gone. The answer came quickly. That was when everything went dark. That was when the dark days began.

"Let's go then." And they followed the tracks out into the forest. Out to Evelyn.

It wasn't long before he spotted three figures in a forest. For being desperate to avoid him, they seemed to be moving rather slowly. She must be hurt, he realized. Too hurt to move.

When they entered a clearing, Tom saw her. "Little Dove," he whispered. She was wearing an unfamiliar nightgown, which allowed him to see the many bruises on her arms and legs. He had no doubt that she had more underneath. She was shivering, her hands and feet slowly turning blue from the cold.

But Tom's relief at her being alive quickly turned to rage when he saw the grip the younger boy had on his woman. He fisted her hair as he dragged her through the woods. Even from here, Tom could hear her little whimpers of pain.

He growled and the ensuing fury caused a strong bolt of lightning to strike in front of the group, slowing them and trapping them in the clearing. The two men gasped and Evelyn stilled, though she seemed to react more to the following thunder.

Then, as if by magic, she turned and his breath went away.

She was as beautiful as the day he lost her.

Her grey eyes were glistening with unshed tears as they took him in. He saw a dozen emotions fill them: relief, hope, fear, begging, hurt, sorrow, and more. Her eyes were broken. And that broke him.

What have they done to you, Little Dove? Have they clipped your wings?

"Let her go. Now," Tom boomed as the other Death Eaters began to flank him. He could feel their need for violence permeate the air.

The younger, arrogant boy—the one holding on to Evelyn—scoffed. "So you can try and kill us after? No way."

Tom clenched his jaw. Calm. You have to be calm for her. "Very well." He lifted his wand and watched as their eyes widened. Then, Tom's voice echoed in the clearing. "Imperio."

A bright blue light flashed from his wand before he watched their eyes become glassy. "Let her go," he ordered. The Imperius curse prevented them from disobeying. Locke immediately let go of Evelyn's hair and she cried out in relief. Tom growled, "Evelyn. Come here."

She hesitated for a moment, looking back to make sure that neither man was going to hold her back. "Little Dove," he said in a softer voice. "Please. Come here."

And then she ran.

It was awkward—she clearly had been injured in many ways—but Evelyn sprinted across the clearing. Tom held open his arms for her and sighed with relief when she stepped into him, clinging tightly to his waist. She was shaking and, to his surprise, so was he. He closed his embrace and sighed as he felt her warmth and smelled her scent of vanilla and rain.

Evelyn began to sob. She unwrapped her arms and instead huddled them together in front of her body. "Mattheo," Tom ordered. "Cast a hot air charm." His brother complied instantly and Tom started to feel hot, though he noticed with relief that Evelyn had stopped shaking.

"Little Dove," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair before settling them on her back. She's here, he reminded himself. She's here and she's safe. After seven days of hell, he wasn't sure he'd be able to say that again. "I'm here. I'm here."

"Tom," she sobbed, shaking again, though for an entirely different reason. "I- I thought I was going to die."

"Shh. I would never let that happen. Never."

She looked up at him with eyes glistening with tears. Damn it. She went through too much because he was fucking late, because he was fucking incompetent. The guilt was eating him alive. "Why didn't you come for me earlier?"

He kissed her forehead in an effort to keep his own tears at bay. "I couldn't find you, darling. As soon as I did, I came. And I'm never leaving again."

"P-please don't let me go."

"Never."

It was then that Tom decided that he wasn't going to hand her off to Mattheo as he originally planned. He wasn't going to let his brother take her to the castle while he tortured the living daylights out of the fools in front of him. He wasn't going to do anything but kill them quickly—still painfully—so he could bring her back where she belonged as soon as possible.

Tom unwrapped his arms and Evelyn whimpered. "Don't let go!"

"Shh, darling. I just have to take care of this and then we can go home." He didn't want to say that Evelyn already was his home, that he had been home ever since she stepped into his embrace.

She nodded and pulled back, albeit reluctantly. Tom grabbed her chin gently and lifted her face. For a moment, even he thought he might kiss her. But he needed to focus.

Tom scanned her face for any signs of injury, any hint of what she might have gone through. But there were no cuts, no bruises. And while her cheekbones looked a bit skinnier and her eyes looked a little bit hollower, there was nothing physically wrong with her. He sighed. For now, that would have to be enough.

"The rest of you may go," Tom ordered to the Death Eaters standing behind him.

"My Lord, would you not like us here just in case—"

Tom turned and gave the man who spoke a sharp glare. If looks could kill, he would have already been dead. "Do you doubt my ability to take care of two men? Do you dare question my orders? Leave before three people die today."

"Yes, My Lord." And he vanished along with the others.

"Mattheo, keep ahold of Evelyn."

Some shuffling, then, "Yes, Tom." No smartass remark from his brother. Mattheo knew when to mess around and when not to. He heard some murmuring coming from behind him. "Are you okay?" Mattheo asked.

And Tom's heart broke when she said, "Not even a little."

Take out the two that hurt her. Kill them, a voice inside his head said. So he turned to the two wizards and released them from their curse.

Both men blinked a few times as the fog left their minds. Their eyes widened when they saw Evelyn tucked safely against Mattheo's side. He seemed larger at that moment, like Mattheo had finally hit a growth spurt. Or maybe it was just the younger boy's courage and will to defend his cousin. Either way, Tom was thankful as it seemed to intimidate them almost as much as the dark wizard holding a wand.

"You dared to take what is mine," Tom said in a voice that was both deep and deathly calm. "It will not go unpunished."

One of the men laughed incredulously. "Are you truly choosing a woman over power? When killing her will make you the greatest dark wizard of all time?"

Suddenly, his body was raised in the air. He clawed at his neck as if some invisible force was choking him. Tom just smirked.

The man began to choke in the air before, slowly, his body contorted. He was hovering over ten feet above ground while each limb bent unnaturally. Tom's eyes darkened with pleasure as he watched.

"It seems you have incorrectly assumed that I am not already the greatest dark wizard of all time," Tom drawled. "Make no mistake: I will always choose a woman over power when that woman is mine."

And with that, the man's neck bent and he fell to the ground. Dead.

Tom fixated on the other man, the younger of the two. He was trembling where he stood, eyes glistening with tears as he stared at his comrade, no doubt realizing what his fate was to become. "Do you doubt me as well, fool?" Tom goaded.

The man's eyes turned to him and widened. "N-no, My Lord! Key forced me to follow him!"

Lies, a voice in Tom's head hissed. It sounded an awful lot like the basilisk. This man dares to whisper lies when he alone came to her at night.

Tom saw red. What happened next was so quick, almost too quick, and yet he didn't regret it at all.

The Death Eater's body shot up in the air, only instead of choking and bending, the skin slowly began to peel back from his hands as droplets of blood stained the grasses below. The boy screamed as his body was flayed alive but the sound was drowned out by Tom's laughter.

"You laid your fucking hands on her," he seethed with white-hot fury. "You touched what is mine. Your soul will forever be tainted by what I do to you, just as you dared to try and taint hers."

His limbs were slowly pulled until an unmistakable pop echoed in the clearing. His arms were slowly ripped off of his body followed by a great gush of blood. And still, the boy did not die. He screamed and cried but his eyes remained open.

"Your blood will stain the grasses and your cries will echo in the woods and yet your foolish arrogance is all that will be left on the Earth. Memories of you will be gone and your touch will be replaced by mine. That is all I will allow to remain."

And with that, the boy's neck snapped and he, too, fell to the ground.

Tom turned around, wishing he could have kept that up for several hours but knowing that Evelyn needed to get home. She needed to be back in her safe space, needed a bath, warm clothes, and some food. And he needed to take care of her and hold her in his arms so he wouldn't go insane. My Little Dove. She's back.

But when he turned around, Evelyn had pulled away from Mattheo and his brother was looking at him with a panicked expression. She was murmuring under her breath with her arms wrapped around her body. Her eyes were wide, her body shaking as she stepped further and further away from Mattheo's hot air charm. Tom noticed how her hair was slowly becoming wilder as her eyes got more and more fearful. She looked terrified.

"Y-you're going to make me f-forget," she stuttered. Her voice was soft and broken.

"Darling," he whispered gently as if he were speaking with a wounded animal. "You don't want to remember this, do you?"

"You're going to make me forget and t-then you're going to k-kill me." Her expression became more and more frantic as she went on. When Evelyn talked, it almost seemed like she was speaking more to herself than to either of the brothers. Her voice became quicker and higher pitched as she went on.

"I would never hurt you, Little Dove."

"They said you would. They said you're going to k-kill me and get more power."

He shook his head. "Of course not. I love you."

"Y-you left me there to d-die so you could get more power. You're going to raise me in the air and s-snap my neck too. Y-you don't love me! You can't love!"

Tom tried to ignore the pangs of hurt that echoed through his chest at her words. She's frightened. She's been through a lot. He tucked his wand away and held his arms up in surrender. "I do love you, darling. I've always loved you."

"You don't leave people you love in a dungeon for a week! You don't force them to go through seven days of torture! You don't allow them to get kidnapped by your followers!"

Mattheo locked eyes with him. Tom muttered the legilimens curse and entered his brother's mind. "She's not thinking clearly. She's panicking," he said. "I can feel it. You have to get to her."

Tom nodded and slowly started to walk in on Evelyn while she looked around the area distractedly. She continued to mutter to herself. "For days I thought you would come until they made me realize that you wanted me to die. You only care about this bond, not about me. Y-you don't love me. You've never loved me. You love only power. You—"

Tom stepped on a branch. He winced just as Evelyn's eyes snapped to him. She sucked in a deep breath when she saw how close he was. And then something appeared on her face. Fear, yes, panic, yes, but something else too. Resolution.

"Little Dove," he pleaded. Evelyn kept moving further away but Tom was advancing on her. In just a few moments, she would be back in his arms and he could convince her to see reason. "Please, just listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Evelyn's lower lip trembled just as her eyes filled with glossy tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He tried to wrap his arms around her but ti was too late. Evelyn apparated, disappearing into thin air just as he cried out "NO!"

And then she was gone.

I swear the cliffhangers are almost done guys please don't hate me! But it's a weekend so you know what that means: lots of uploads. What do you think is going to happen next? Let me know what you think below! Your comments mean so much to me xx