Sacred Silence | A Tom Riddle Story

15: Drink the pain away.

Siobhan sat on the log she used to block Tom, in the cold winter air, for at least 20 minutes. She just sat there, her mind racing. She saw a dim light coming from one of the greenhouses. A trail of smoke drifted into the air above it.

She needed to go back inside, clean herself up and show the rest of the world that there was nothing wrong with Siobhan Selwyn. She tried to wipe her tears away, careful not to wipe off her make-up. Her hands were still slightly shaking. This whole trip home had been one big disaster, and she couldn't contain her body's reaction to all of the stress anymore. She remembered Tom's judging gaze again and felt a little ashamed of herself.

Slowly, she got up from the rock. She took a deep breath and clutched her hands together in order for them to stop shaking. She walked over to the still open door that led back inside. The warmth on her skin once she was inside was pleasant. She found her way to the nearest bathroom and started swishing her mouth with water. After that she took her time, cleaning her face and touching up her make-up. She replaced some hairpins and tossed away her broken tooth. She would have her mom fix a new one for her tomorrow. Sera Selwyn was an expert in fixing up 'household injuries'.

When she stepped back into the large hall filled with people, she immediately felt her anxiety return. The heat suddenly became too much of a good thing, and everyone's voices seemed to echo loudly inside her head. She rationed that her head was just sensitive from the punch she took. She walked over to the bar and ordered a glass of her families red wine. When the wizard behind the bar stopped halfway through the glass, Siobhan motioned for him to keep pouring.

Satisfied with her full glass, she walked back into the mass off people. She took a couple big mouthfuls of her wine and spotted all three of her brothers, standing around a fireplace. She was halfway through her glass already when she forced her way in between Amos and Altair.

They looked at her in surprise. 'Siobhan, you look well,' Altair said, sounding relieved. He put an arm around her shoulders and placed a small kiss on the top of her head. She was grateful for his kindness.
'So we're all Riddles little puppets now, are we?' Shiv spoke bitterly, taking another large sip of wine.

Cillian spoke with badly hidden enthusiasm, 'I don't know Shiv, he really wants to make things happen. Go out there you know.' His eyes had a familiar dark spark in them.

'We're just going to read about what he has been up to and what he has to offer. If he really is 'the next best thing,' we need to align early. I can see what dad is up to, business wise.' Amos spoke casually, he had his hands in his pockets and leaned into the fire a little.

Shiv didn't like his lack of frustration or anger. She looked up at Altair, who was still holding her.

'What dad did to you was horrible, Shiv. I am sorry.' His voice was soft.

'It was just a strategic move on his part, I get it,' Shiv shrugged.
This had happened too many times before. They shared an uncomfortable conversation and some minutes of concern for the person that had taken the hit. Until that person decided they were over it, then they moved on and forgot about the whole ordeal.

'I've just been thinking, the shit the ministry let's me do, you can just imagine what Riddle would let me do on his orders,' Cillian grinned. Amos looked over at his younger brother and shook his head a little.

Siobhan noticed her glass was empty already. She shook off Altairs arm and sighed. 'Well, dear brothers of mine, I'm going to drink away the pain in my jaw. Excuse me,' and she walked away with a small, mischievous smile.

She strode back over to the bar and had her glass filled all the way up to the top again. She sipped off the top bit as she looked around the room. None of her schoolmates seemed to be there.
Suddenly, she remembered the light and smoke coming from the greenhouses. Tom was walking towards them..
In a wave of bravery, she made her way across the hall, towards the exit again.