prologue

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by willowunicorn

by willowunicorn

Potter Household,
December 1978
. . . .

THE FIRE CACKLING in the fireplace wasn't enough to warm Fleamont Potter as he stared at his son and his friends. He had decided that today, would be the day he would confess to all the sins his twin sister had done. ❨ His own included, though they were not as atrocious as Persephone's. ❩ He still remembered the days before she got sorted into Slytherin, her bright smile as she and Zayn would chase him all around the house, knocking things down and getting scolded by their parents. But now, Fleamont sat here in a wheelchair courtesy of his sister, while Zayn rotted underground and Persephone was doing Tom's bidding. Fleamont raised his head, looking at James and seeing the pure joy on his face ━ oh how he wishes that he could still smile like that. With Persephone by his side and Zayn not so far away.

"James, my son," Fleamont began, opting to look into the fire, remembering the day Persephone burnt Zayn alive. He always had wondered, what did Zayn do to deserve all that? His screams tore through Fleamont till this day, they haunted every corner of his dreams. "Come closer, there's a story I want to tell you."

James and his friends sent the aging man a questioning look but they all scooted closer nonetheless, even though only James was ordered to come closer. "It'd better be good dad, I was just about to floo Lily." James wagged his finger at his father, who let a chuckle slip past his dry and cracked lips.

"The story I'm about to tell you, it's not an easy tale to tell." Fleamont sighed, refusing to let his son see the thin layer of tears that lined his eyes. He always got so emotional when it came to Persephone, mainly because he blamed himself for not saving her. "It's about Persephone Riddle."

Everyone gasped, shock written all over their faces. Finally, Sirius spoke.

"You Know Who's wife? Why would we want to hear a story about her?" He asked, confusion thick on his face and Fleamont smiled sadly. That's all the world saw his precious twin sister as, the wife of a monster.

"She had been Persephone Potter once, before he ruined her." He shook his head. "I wish I could've saved her, but I was too scared, after all, she bore the Slytherin crest on her heart like a trophy rather than the Gryffindor crest."

"My aunt had been a Slytherin?" James asked, eyes wide. It opened up a new portal of feelings towards the Slytherins. Was it hatred? Perhaps it was, after all Persephone Riddle was feared, more than her husband in fact.

"Yes, and I was ashamed to bear the same last name as her, so I never truly spoke to her, only when I was forced to. I should've spoken to her more." Fleamont let out a sob, using his aging hand to wipe away the tears. "I wish I had, maybe I could've stopped her from being friends with Lestrange, maybe I could've stopped her from dating Malfoy, maybe I could've stopped her from summoning all those horrible things." He sighed, shaking his head. It was all his fault, why didn't he reach out to her after the hat declared her a Slytherin rather than a Gryffindor? "Maybe, just maybe, I could've stopped her from falling in love with that beast."

Fleamont sighed once again, shaking his head sadly and this time, he didn't hide his tears. "Our twisted tale begins in an empty hallway, with two people in it. Persephone Potter and Tom Riddle. Two monsters. Morphed for each other like a shoe and a foot, fitting together so perfectly it sent a shiver down my spine, destined to be together forever, unfortunately."

an.

y'all, I'm so excited to write this! Tom is a very dark character to write about and Stefi as well! That being said, I wish to do him justice cause this is actually the first Tom Riddle fanfiction I've ever gotten so FAR with, I mean it's a prologue and an upcoming chapter but still lol