Marauder's Daughter (Eventual Tom Riddle X OC)

Chapter 51: Farewells

I woke up alone in the Room of Requirement, and took a moment to stretch and feel my injuries. They weren't too bad, but I knew I would be sore for a while, and the cuts would need more time to heal. I was still slightly shaking too, but it was noticeably less than yesterday and definitely manageable. The after effects of the Cruciatus curse were pretty annoying. 

Before I left the room and rejoined my friends, I decided to check in with Tom.

"You're alive." Tom says happily as I bring him into Konoha.

"I am." I grin at him lazily. "I had a great advantage in the battle. And that ice spell worked brilliantly. Not just useful against dragons. Turns out, it works great against Death Eaters too. Plus I had a few other tricks up my sleeve."

"I expect no less of you, Abigail." He says with a genuine smile. "Did you defeat him?"

"He's like a cockroach, I'm sure he survived." I say bitterly. "I did wound him greatly though. And I killed the traitor, and several of his followers. And I marked many more for the world to see their true loyalty."

"A mark?" He asks me curiously.

"Yes. Your.... Voldemort's little Dark Mark, which is both stupid and brilliant by the way, is easily hidden. My mark I left... They will find it quite impossible to hide a scar on the face for all the world to see. One that's cursed, and won't ever heal fully. Dark magic is quite useful at times." I smirk at him, and he returns it.

"There's my evil genius." He says with a grin and a laugh. "You said there was another horcrux there, did you get it?"

"I stabbed it at least four times. Whether it's dead is another story." I admit with a shrug. "I certainly damaged it though. It's hard to know where the vitals are on a snake."

"Voldemort made a snake, a living creature, a horcrux?" He asks in disbelief. "He must really have been going crazy towards the end there, that's idiotic." He scolds his other self.

"I wanted to thank you, Tom. Your help in crafting spells and in getting into his mindset, that help was immeasurable." I say softly to him.

"I'm just so glad you made it out alright. I hope you will tell me all about it." He stands and places a hand next to my own, and gives me the softest look I've seen him give yet. I return it with a smile, and lean forward to press my lips near his cheek, not making contact but he gets the idea nonetheless.

"I have to get going, I need to tell others that I'm ok. I've sort of been missing since yesterday." I grimace slightly with a weak smile as I part away from him.

"I'm honored you came to me first. I was worried." He says to me, and I turn to leave.

"I'll talk to you later, Tom." I call over to him and leave, storing him back up in the pouch and heading out of the room. 

The twins both found me immediately after I left the room, the map in Fred's hand as they rushed over to me.

"We've been looking for you everywhere since yesterday!" Fred yells out at me.

"Do you even know what's been happening?!" George adds on.

"I know what's going on. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was... it's complicated." I say with a grimace. "Let's just say, I know exactly what happened last night."

"You didn't..." Fred says, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "I knew Harry's smirk when You-Know-Who came back looked familiar!"

"It was you?!" George whisper yells as I shush them from their loud exclamations. "Explain. Now."