Marked • Tom Riddle

His Office Couch

After spending the hour with Father trying wholeheartedly to convince him I was alright - which he believed for the moment - I spent the majority of the rest of the day getting ready for the dinner the Dark Lord had invited me to. I figured it would only be the two of us dining and my schedule for the day was clear, so I had all the time I needed to make myself look perfect. Especially after what he'd done for me, gifting me the flowers and the puppy - which I had taken the great pleasure of naming Blue to honor bluebells, my favorite flower - the least I could do was put in the effort to look nice for him.

So, as the hours ticked by and the time to visit the Dark Lord finally arrived, I stood in front of my bedroom mirror to make sure everything was in check, that no hair was out of place and no wrinkle could be found on my dress. The way I looked was different than my usual, but that was the intention. I had been dressing in a sort of middle ground between girl and woman attire, but lately, it had dawned on me I was no longer a girl. I was engaged, to the Dark Lord no less, and I had duties to fulfill. I could no longer go prancing about in my youthful flowy dresses. No, I was a woman and I had to look the part.

My dress was long and tight around my bodice, with a low neckline and an even lower back. It had no sleeves, simply small straps to hold it all together, which oddly reminded me of my nightgowns. It was even satin and it was very simple, but what it did for my body was the true beauty behind the dress. It hugged me nicely, accentuating my hip-to-waist ratio which Mother always hated. She wanted me to be paper-thin, the smaller the better, but I had grown to like the slight curviness to my body.

My hair was done in a very loose updo, which Eloise had finally gotten the hang of. A couple of pieces framed my face, while the rest was loosely pinned back with but a single diamond clip. I usually preferred my hair down when sporting lower necklines, but I wanted to show off the low back. After all, what was the point in wearing such a dress if I was going to hide the best parts of it?

I wore only my Rosier pendant for jewelry and a few spritzes of sweet-smelling perfume. Sighing, I looked at myself one last time in the mirror. He would like it. I was sure he'd like it.

"How do I look, Blue?" I said, turning my attention to the little pup who was busy digging a hole in one of my pillows. He stopped his important work to look at me for but a second before going back to her digging. "Truly, you flatter me too much."

As the clock chimed to represent the new hour, I slipped on my heels and apparated to the Dark Lord's estate. The winter weather was still running its course, the temperatures low as ever, but the maid was quick to open the door and allow me entry. The estate had never been a particularly warm place, but anything was better than the icy winds outside.

I hurried into the home, basking in the little warmth when I noticed a familiar face leaving the Dark Lord's office. "Sebastian!" I said, likely more excited than I should have been. I had not seen him since the orphanage and I wanted to know more about what had happened. He looked surprised at the sudden call of his name, but once he realized it was just me he walked over. His eyes glanced over my attire as he looked me up and down. I did not really mind, it actually gave me more confidence that the Dark Lord would take notice of my appearance.

"Karina," he responded to my enthusiasm with a respectful nod.

"What are you doing here? What happened to the children at the orphanage?"

"That's actually why I'm here," he said, placing his hands in his pockets. "I've been placed as head of this investigation. I was informing the Dark Lord of how us Aurors are proceeding with the orphanages. The children are safe and in better hands now thanks to you."