The Dark Lord & The Serpent King

We Were Gone

They say the best ideas come to us in the shower. In my case, my worst revelations do. Revelations I should have had far earlier, if I'd had my head screwed on properly.

... Perhaps I've lost my edge

Three months away from Tom's made me less sharp than I ought to be

But that's exactly what he's been aiming for, counting on, yes?

It happened when I was shampooing my hair. That's when I realised:

I'd been warned

Explicitly warned

Howling with sudden unbearable fear, I practically leapt out of the shower, banging my knee hard against the bathroom countertop in the process. And I was so gripped with intense anxiety that I nearly sprinted out of my bathroom the way I was - completely nude - though thank Merlin I had enough presence of mind to stop myself short and throw on the pyjamas I'd left folded on the bathroom countertop.

And so, with a mountain of suds still in my hair, some now streaming down my face, stinging my eyes, I continued to whimper with ever mounting agitation as I struggled to throw on my bottoms and top over my sopping wet frame. Pyjamas clinging uncomfortably to my wet body, I practically flew out the bathroom -

He told me - he specifically told me!

Typical Tom FUCKING Riddle!

And typical me, catching on far too late -

My feet, blindly carrying me forward -

"Bait ..."

Gasping, falling against the railing of the stairs -

"... The best possible bait."

Stumbling my way down the last few steps -

"For when HE comes around ..."

Running down the hall now, my mind a complete mess -

"... And mark my words - he WILL come around."

My heart rate, off the charts -

I've been so completely blinded by everything with Ra

I thought he meant Ra

He never meant Ra

My fists, now pounding at the door to Salazar's bedroom, "Emergency!"

Half a second later, the door was thrown open, Salazar regarding me with a look of concern, "My Lady?!"

"EMERGENCY - EXTREME EMERGENCY -"

"My Lady -"

"Such a complete idiot - to not see -"

"My -"

"Need to tell you -"

"- Lady!"

Leaning forward, his hands found their way onto my shoulders as he shook me gently, an attempt to calm me.

But my mind, whirring ever faster in more heightened panic, and my heart beating dangerously wildly, "Don't you see?! No time - no time -"

Less then no time, in all likelihood

Probably been on extreme borrowed time since he first arrived -

But where I was panicked, Salazar was calm, "Please, breathe first?"

"But -"

"Breathe?"

Shaking my head frantically, I did, in fact, manage to pause long enough to draw breath. A good thing, too, for continuing this way and I might have hyperventilated.