Thomas Potter-Love is a Different Dimension

Kiss Me Open

Malfoy Manor, March 1941

Tom Riddle POV:

He once read about hyenas as a child. The science teacher was a bore and the books were faded and tattered, but the lessons he gathered from studying pack dynamics fascinated him.

Hyenas were among the many animals that practised fratricide. Born with fangs and sharp claws, they live in burrows and narrow tunnels and fight for dominance, and survival. About a quarter of the little cubs will die in the first month of life, killed by their own sibling.

Hyenas were not alone to practice this as a means of population control and ensure the survival of the fittest. The firstborn golden eaglet will peck and bully the younger hatchlings to death. Sand tiger sharks would eat their siblings while still in the mother's womb. And apparently, as Tom is learning, pureblood wizards do this too.

The body lies brokenly in the middle of Abraxas's study. Abraxas tries to cover what happened, a wayward spell casting gone wrong is his excuse. He was egging me and I had a bit too much to drink last night, you believe me don't you Tom? The House Elves are ordered to keep Grani (the youngest Malfoy) and his nanny in his room. Miss Diedre is in her peach nightgown, large rings of her hair in disarray. Running in circles, clapping her mouth, murmuring frantically, 'it was never meant to get this far'.

"I'll write a letter to a few people to say he's sick, yes, that will buy us time," Us. As if they were all in on it, and it wasn't his wand's doing. "They might misunderstand... think it's- if I don't handle this properly. If the brat had only listened to me in the first place, this wouldn't have happened..." Abraxas was speaking more to himself than at Tom. he was also in his night robes, long pale hair wild and blue eyes half-crazed looking everywhere but at the cold dead evidence in the centre of his study.

Tom knows he wasn't supposed to see it. He was in the guest room when he felt the shudder of dark magic. He had always been sensitive and attune to it more than other kinds of magic. And something about Malfoy Manor, the unstable wards, had him high on alert. He accepted Abraxas's invitation to stay at Malfoy Manor, to use the opportunity to create connections with other purebloods, to be inducted into the Knight of Walpurgis. But he was not foolish enough to trust Abraxas with the safety of his life.

Tom had carefully tiptoed through the Manor's hall and made his way to the source of the magic, hearing muffled screams. Upon reaching the study, Tom saw a flash of green light from the slit of the door. A final slump.

Abraxas opened the door, heavily panting, his eyes rounded like saucers when he came face to face with Tom.

Tom was quicker with his wand, disarming the older wizard. Defenceless and humiliated, caught off guard, the Malfoy heir tried to use his silver tongue to convince Tom it was an accident.

Aethon Malfoy's body lay sprawled in an odd angle, his faded blue eyes staring at nothing. The boy had tried to approach him countless times during Tom's stay in the Manor. Offer to play quidditch together, study with him or ask Tom to join his table during the grand Malfoy parties.

Parties Abraxas held to validate himself, elevate his status. Stroke his ego

Aethon sat alone during those parties. Struggling to stay afloat among the group of cold snakes that viewed him as incompetent and pathetic. Ignored by his friends, with no talent of his own, and later executed by his own blood.

Life had a way of constantly reminding Tom that it does nothing to dwell on sentiment. Even family cannot be trusted. Only the strong prevail.

"I can help you hide the body,"