kneel | Tom Riddle

𝟔𝟎

60| a whore

Six years ago

"Tom," the young Seraphina breathed out, turning her head to the side and allowing her cheek to touch the grass, "Back in the orphanage, were there a lot of boys and girls?"

Tom raised his eyes from the book he was reading. Unlike Seraphina, he wasn't laying on the grass, he was sitting on it because the young witch insisted for him to make him company while she enjoyed the sun burning her skin outside. Their first year at Hogwarts had just ended and they were about to start their second, being the first summer Tom spend in the Vevrain Mansion.

"Unfortunately," he simply answered, wondering why did she want to know about his time in the orphanage.

She frowned, "Were they friends?"

Tom shrugged, "I guess."

"Friends like you and me?"

"No," he closed the book and placed it close to her head, "We can't compare ourselves to them. Muggles are vile creatures who know nothing but disloyalty and envy," Tom explained, "What we both value is friendship, they are incapable of that."

"Then you didn't have any friends, that must be sad," she grabbed his hand in her and he gave her an empty look, "Who did you play with?"

"I didn't play."

"Ever?"

"Ever. It's childish and a waste of time," he explained to her.

"Well, Tom, we were children. Anyway, it doesn't matter now," she looked up at him, his hazel eyes staring at her intensely. He pretended to be emotional by pouting.

She was absolutely right. He had her and despite his shameful past, having her meant he had the greatest toy of them hall. Tom earned himself the most expensive toy in the market and he would play with it forever.

•

Seraphina watched Tom sleeping silently with a deep frown on her face. It had been two days since they returned to London and they were finally in their apartment again. However, they didn't have time to rest, since Tom suggested he should transform the diadem in yet another Horcrux. Not listening to her complaints, he told her to help him do it and she did.

That being said, she was forced to watch him go through all that long painful process that she had witnessed before in the Chamber of Secrets when he made his first Horcrux. She was expecting it wouldn't be as bad as the first time, since it would be her second time seeing it. But she felt as panicked and heartbroken as the first time. She simply couldn't stand to see him in pain.

Brushing his soft curls out of his forehead, she looked at the sleeping boy with a sad face. What was he doing with his life? After he screamed in pain for a very long time, she helped him get to bed and he slept all night long, not waking up in the morning.

She even managed to get some breakfast ready for him, which was probably horrible, but she didn't know how to cook, and nonetheless, she did her best.

Abraxas was supposed to meet Seraphina that very morning so they could do some shopping for the apartment, but she couldn't leave Tom by himself when he was so fragile. She didn't know what to and there was no way she could contact Abraxas without leaving her home, so she was hoping he would meet her there since he had their address.