the end, again - tom riddle

chapter seven

Edited: 2/14/22

October 24, 1951.

Mara Vaux was fascinating, or at least Tom thought so.

He had had so much fun toying with her without actually toying with her. When they had first met, he had known about her little time traveling stint from Keith. So of course, when they first spoke he had attempted Legilimency on her. He was expecting resistance, but certainly not the level she had displayed. Her head was so locked that it took multiple attempts in which he had to try new techniques from his travels during the summer. And still, there had been a concrete wall he could not knock down. At least, not without alerting her.

But Tom wasn't stupid. He may not have known what time she came from or if Mara Vaux was even her real name, but she knew at least a little about him. She'd been oddly suspicious of him the first few days when they interacted, and then suddenly changed. It had been so much fun to watch her react to the different ways he treated her. One day he'd be extremely closed off and only speak to her when necessary. Other days, he'd walk her back to her rooms after dinner or just 'happen' to see her in the library and decide to do grading with her.

Oh, and her reactions were so fun. She thought she was some super spy who could read him like a book. No, she read what he wanted her to read, and that wasn't much. He kept their interactions short and polite until it was time to mess with her mind just a little more. She thought so much into everything, and her thought process was intriguing. Really, he needed something other than teaching brats to occupy his time and she had come as a golden ticket.

That along with how much alcohol she could drink. It was truly impressive, and he'd only witnessed her drink a few times and drunk even less. Abraxas had stories though, and Charles complained about picking a drunk Abraxas up enough for the idea to get through.

Tom sighed as he heard the clock ding, signaling the tenth hour. It was time for the meeting.

✧

They eyed each other across the bar, as if they hadn't danced this dance a hundred times before.

It was ten in the evening, and Mara sat at the barstool in that bar she liked in particular because of it's exclusive...company. Sitting in a booth on the other side of the room was Caroline Caskcut. She had deep auburn hair and sparkling green eyes. She was stunning as she sat holding her glass of gin loosely, the yellow lights of the bar shining just so on her face.

It wasn't infatuation that connected the two though, simply attraction. She was a beautiful woman who Mara found herself wishing to bed, often. It was just her luck that Caroline felt the same.

Caroline rose and strode to the side of the bar where Mara was seated. It was relatively late for a Saturday night, but maybe there was some other event the usual patrons were attending. In any case, Mara couldn't have cared less.

"Hello, darling." Caroline purred when she reached Mara's side. Caroline lifted her hand to play with the short black strands of Mara's hair.

Mara knew her smirk was edging on sinful. "I've missed you."

Caroline tugged on the piece of hair she had been twirling. "Isn't that just your luck? I've been feeling the same."

Mara hummed. "So why don't we get out of here?"

Caroline grinned. "Isn't that the question of the night."

Mara's smirk widened as she downed the rest of her glass, and then the rest of Caroline's.

"Be at my place in five." Caroline whispered in her ear. Mara bit her lip and nodded. Caroline disappeared in a flash, the crack! of her apparition echoing so loudly that Mara could hear it inside the establishment.