Invictus [Tom Riddle / Tomione]

Roses & Revenge

Find what you love and let it kill you.

- Charles Bukowski

Riddle woke early on Saturday morning. He didn't intend to meet his Death Eaters at the Leaky Cauldron today, since they would be meeting later in the evening at Riddle House, but he did have something on his mind. Tom turned to find Hermione curled up at his side. The room was still dark as it was well before sunrise.

Tom snaked his hand around her waist, stroking the soft skin of her side as he leaned in to whisper against her hair, "I have to go, Hermione. I have something to do."

"Tom," she mumbled.

"Go back to sleep," he murmured, running his knuckles along her arm.

"I'll get up," she said softly, her voice husky with sleep.

"No, love. Just go back to sleep. I'll write you on the parchment when I get to work."

She hummed drowsily, her lashes fluttering and then she seemed to fall back into unconsciousness.

Tom lay staring at her for another minute; he took in her pert nose and defined cheekbones. His gaze swept over the soft parting of her lips and the delicate lashes that rested against her cheeks. Then he swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing as he forced himself to throw back the covers, exposing his bare skin to the chilly morning air.

Tonight was the night.

He cast a warming charm on himself, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

It was just before sunrise, and Tom sat by the fire in the grand Malfoy Manor library, researching the Ribbon of Life, which was one of the required components for the Soul Bond. He'd never heard about such an object, and his employer seemed to also be ignorant of its existence. There was no mention of it in any book he'd ever read, and he was somewhat disheartened. If he couldn't locate the artifact, then there was very little chance of him conducting the spell correctly. Tom still needed Hermione's tears to finish the potion. He felt his frustration boiling over.

He heard the double doors open, and looked up to find Abraxas entering.

"Good morning, my Lord. I thought I heard someone floo into the parlor. More research?"

Tom sighed. "Yes, Brax. Though I'm not sure I'm making any progress."

"If I can be of any aid, do utilize my expertise."

Tom snorted derisively and cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose I do have a question for you. When we were discussing soulmate magic, you mentioned that you had used a spell to determine if Peoria was your soulmate. But the book you gave me only mentions a potion. What spell did you use?"

"Ah," Abraxas sighed. "Truthfully, my Lord, I was not able to locate the instructions for the potion. I searched and searched until I found a spell in an old spellbook. It was a rather silly spell and I didn't place much hope in it. As I said, it was inconclusive so I wouldn't recommend it. I don't even think I recall the spell now, or even where I found the blasted thing."

Tom nodded absentmindedly, his gaze faraway. "I see. Well, what do you know about the Ribbon of Life?"

Abraxas' brows furrowed. "Isn't that needed for a soul bond ceremony?"

Tom nodded stoically.

Malfoy's face looked troubled. "Um, well... Forgive me but, are you intending to conduct a soul bond? With who?"

Tom's eyes narrowed. "My reasons for researching this have nothing to do with you, Malfoy. Answer the question."

"Of course, my Lord," Abraxas muttered coolly. "Well, it's now called the Ribbon of Life, but it was once called the Thread of Fate. Soulmate magic dates back to ancient greece- it's more or less all rooted in myth. The thread was woven at a great loom by the Moirai, or the Fates. They are three sisters, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. The only book I have in this library that mentions it is called Magic and the Gods . There was a Greek witch who was very powerful, named Aikaterine. She sought immortality, and she believed that the essence which the gods breathed, the aether, would extend her life. She created a kind of containment spell and placed it on a box, which would capture the aether in its own vacuum. However, she needed to be brought to Olympus to conduct the experiment, so she dedicated her life to the worship of Atropos, the cutter of the threads which resulted in death for humans. She eventually seduced Atropos, and when Atropos brought her to Olympus, Aikaterine discovered that her experiment failed. Aether was a divine substance, and could not be contained by magic. Instead, Aikaterine convinced Atropos to take her to the loom, and Atropos showed her the thread of fate. Atropos told her that if she desired immortality, that she would never cut her thread as long as she promised not to betray their love. Aikaterine was a shrewd witch, and she did not truly love Atropos, so while the goddess was sleeping, Aikaterine stole her thread from the loom. She then spent the rest of her life hiding from the wrath of the Fates. Finally, when Aikaterine's lover was killed, she decided she was ready to leave earth and journey to the underworld, so she cut the thread herself, and it was cleaved into two threads. The two halves of the ribbon of life were supposedly passed down through her family. Of course, this is all mythological," Malfoy laughed. "None of it really adds up. It's an old legend, like the wands of great power or the Fountain of Fair Fortune."