Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

62: Reunited and Concerned

"Don't you go to Hogwarts?" Tom inquired as they both finished their meals.

Cassiopeia shook her head, gathering the empty plates and bowl neatly onto the tray.

"Why aren't you speaking as much as you used to?" Tom slowly got to his feet, sitting beside her.

"Just," she shrugged her shoulders, standing up. Cassiopeia took the tray into her hands and turned around to leave. "Stay in the room until you regain your strength, alright?"

"Ye—yeah," he replied, his eyes following her as she departed. She gave a small smile and headed downstairs to find Kreacher.

"Kreacher!" Cassiopeia called as she entered the kitchen.

The elf was occupied with cleaning the tiles and floor. He glanced up from his work and dropped the cleaning cloth.

"Oh, Miss. Arctula shouldn't do these," he rushed to her side as she smiled. "Give them to Kreacher, and Kreacher will clean."

"Let me do it, Kreacher," she held up the tray and looked down. "You looked after me and put up with my antics last month, so I don't want to be a burden to you."

Cassiopeia walked to the sink and began washing the dishes. Kreacher joined her, cleaning the tiles.

"Kreacher, do you want to be a free elf?" she asked, continuing the dishes.

She had often thought about setting him free since he had served the Black Family for years.

"Kreacher doesn't wish to be free but rather serve the noble Black Family," he replied in a soft voice.

"Kreacher, you don't have to lie. I'd like to free you, honestly," Cassiopeia confessed as she washed the last piece. "You've done everything for us, more than enough. I feel like I owe you."

"No, Kreacher cannot do that. Until my death, I will serve Miss. Arctula, the heiress of the Black Family," he innocently refused the offer of freedom, a sentiment that saddened her deeply.

She had witnessed his hard work, including cleaning her grandmother's portrait. She hadn't seen the portrait herself, but she had heard stories of the harsh treatment it gave this loyal elf.

With the dishes cleaned, Cassiopeia headed upstairs to check on Tom. She couldn't help but reflect on the reality of the person she once considered nothing more than a distant dream entering her life.

Upon entering the empty room, she frowned when she couldn't find Tom, who had been there just a few moments earlier.

"Tom!" she called his name, looking around and even opening the bathroom door, but he wasn't there. "Oh, Merlin, where did you go?"

Cassiopeia began to panic, her mind racing with thoughts of what might have happened to him. She turned to exit the room to search for him when the boy, who had mysteriously disappeared, reappeared in the doorway, closing the door behind him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, attempting to steady her unsteady breath. "You're going to give me a heart attack? Don't play these hide-and-seek games, Tom."

He chuckled as he walked toward her, locking his eyes with hers. Cassiopeia gulped, her heart racing with each step he took, until she unexpectedly hit the back of her knee against the nightstand. It was a mental notice that she had involuntarily stepped back.

"Why are you so nervous in front of me?" Tom inquired, standing just inches away.

Cassiopeia opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it, realizing she had no answer to his question. She looked down, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

"Eyes on me, angel?" He leaned in closer, causing her to raise her head slowly to meet his dark brown eyes.

"I—I thi—think—"

"You think what, Cassie?" He interrupted, not allowing her to finish her sentence.

"Nothing," she sighed, biting her bottom lip in frustration.

Cassiopeia couldn't tear her gaze away from his intense eyes as his fingers gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She found herself staring at the perfect boy before her.

He leaned closer, still maintaining eye contact, and she eventually closed her eyes when she felt his warm breath on her face. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him before his passionate lips captured hers.

His other hand rested on her cheek, gently caressing and tracing her jawline with his fingertips, sending shivers of pleasure through her body. Cassiopeia melted into his kiss.

Her arms encircled his neck, and she smiled at the familiar sensation.

"I missed you," she blurted out as their lips touched again.

"I missed you more than you did, darling," Tom replied, lifting her up and causing her to wrap her legs around him. They shared another loving kiss.

She giggled as he broke the kiss a few seconds later and chuckled, resting her on the bed. He hovered over her, his eyes focused on every nuance of her face.

"You completed me, Cass. You filled the emptiness in my heart I had for fifty years," Tom whispered, planting a quick peck on her lips that made her blush.

"Come, let's have a nap," Cassiopeia suggested, caressing his cheek with a smile.

He nodded, and they both moved to lie down properly on the bed, side by side. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat.

"So, how did you know about your past?" Tom asked, gently tracing his fingers back and forth on her back.

"I had dreams since I was eleven," she answered, closing her eyes. "Most of them were about us."

"I'm just curious how you felt about me watching us in your dreams," Tom said, running his fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp.

Cassiopeia then shared everything about her dreams and what she truly felt about them. She explained how she fell in love with him, the fear she experienced when she learned his last name, and how she repaired the Horcrux.

He listened carefully and silently to her every word, nodding along. Sometimes, she raised her head to check if he was becoming sleepy from listening, but he would chuckle, mouth 'continue,' and pinch her cheek.

Eventually, Cassiopeia fell asleep comfortably in his arms, feeling truly secure.

This was everything she had ever wanted in life, a future with him until her last breath.

Because she loved him unconditionally. She would never let him go.