Riddle's Heir

Slug Club

The Slytherin group was silent. Theo was breathing heavily with tears cascading down his cheeks as he finished the explanation.

Athena was frozen in her seat, her hands trembling with fear of him being this close. It was a different type of fear she felt with Voldemort.

With her father, she could stand up to him. She could stand her ground and tell him he's vile.

With Theo — she didn't do anything, she couldn't. She was either tied down or silenced, her voice could not be used to tell him off.

But him explaining the curse placed on him was real. She could see it in his eyes, but something nagged at her.

He looked so desperate, so Athena could only ask one thing to prove him correct.

"Can I see your mind?" She asked, staring at him in hopes.

"Yes, yes anything you need," Theo responded immediately, his curly hair nodding along with his head.

Athena stood up on shaky legs, Draco holding her waist for support. Theo bent down to her level, his knees hitting the floor below him.

Athena stared into the brown eyes, and this time, she recognized them. They weren't black with darkness, but they were the warm, honey colored ones she adored in her early teen years. The ones that looked at her and called her beautiful with a blink as they told her sweet nothings and cared for her.

Without another glance at his face, she dove into his mind, searching through his memories without causing him pain.

She searched high and low, wide and deep for May of 1994. She finally came across the one.

Taking a deep breath, she reached inside of it and planted her mind to focus.

"Father? You wanted to see me?" Theo's 15 year old voice called outside his father's office.

"Oh yes, come in," Mr. Nott stated from his chair at his desk.

Theo walked in, taking a seat across his father. Mr. Nott was one of those fathers that was terrifying, they were kind and compassionate around other families, and before Theo's mother passed giving birth.

He only ever loved Mrs. Nott, so when she died, he blamed Theo. Theo barely ever went a day in his childhood without a bruise or scar, so when Hogwarts came around, he was grateful.

Mr. Nott stared down his son before speaking, "How's your— relationship with the younger Riddle?" The words felt like venom.

"Good, we are getting to our anniversary soon," Theo explained, feeling quite tense with Athena being the topic.

Mr. Nott stared at his son once again, prompting Theo to speak up. "I've got to get back to Hogwarts, so if you could speed it up that would be wonderful," sarcasm dropped from his tongue.

"I need something from you, Theodore," His father spoke before clearing his throat and speaking again, "I need you to break it off with Athena. Anything — hitting, or cheating, or just breaking up with her."

"What?" Theo asked, his face dropping, "I won't do that. No— absolutely not. She needs me right now."

"You will do what I ask son, I know better then anyone that the Dark Lord will single you out of you have relations to her — especially after what happened in the tournament." Theo's father spoke sternly.

"No— I don't care what you want. I'm not hurting her for your sake," Theo spat, starting to get up and leave the room.

As Theo neared the doorway, he heard it lock. He turned, finding his father standing in front of him with an angry glare.