Darkness Within

The diary

TW: sexual violence and mentions of rape.

I woke up early the next morning, only slightly hungover and thankfully without Tom. I believe he ended up leaving with his followers in the early hours, something about a meeting I imagine.

I dress, apply my usual everyday makeup and apparate back to the muggle world where Tom had taken me yesterday, feeling a need to really take it all in on my own, and to get me far enough from my world that i didn't need to think about anything.

I browse book stores, when I come across a black diary, with golden metal corners, and then I realise that you can get it personalised. I think it would be perfect for him, to remind him that he is Tom Riddle and not the other one. The one I fear. I decide that I will get it.

I walk up to the counter where a boy, not much older than myself stands.

"Hello lovely, what can I do for you today?" He asks as I place the diary onto the counter.

"I'd like this personalised, I want it to say Tom Marvolo Riddle please, I can write it down I'd you need it."

"Odd name. Is he your boyfriend?" He asks, though given the expression on his face he has already assumed that his is.

I think about it, though we label ourselves as such, this relationship is fundamentally wrong. Nobody knows me, or the situation here, I can just be me.

It is for this reason that I reply "no, just a friend." I smile.

"I've never seen you around here before, have you just moved?" He asks, his face lit up since he took in my previous answer.

"Maybe you've just never noticed me before." I smile to him again.

"No way, you are the prettiest girl we've ever had in here- actually scrap that. The prettiest girl we've ever had in this whole town." He says, confidently.

I have no response to that so I nod my head at him.

"My name is Hector by the way Hector Dagworth-Granger, and you are?"

"you sure ask a lot of questions." I laugh. "I'm Adriana, Adriana Black, though feel free to just call me Adi. " I tell him

"Well Adi, I can get the book done for you in around an hour or so don't be running off on me." He smiles and I nod my head before exiting the small cosy shop.

I like it here, mostly I like just watching and observing the muggles, they dress weird and the way they talk, almost is an entirely different language to me because most the time, I haven't a clue what they talk about.

After an hour or so I return to book store and am greeted by a different older man, we exchange a few pleasantries and I leave once again, book in hand.

I walk down the mostly deserted alleyways for a completed empty one to apparate back. Muggle London sure is still overcrowded even at this time of night.

I think I've found one completely deserted and am just about to vanish when I hear a loud gravelly voice.

"A pretty little thing such as yourself shouldn't be walking alone in the dark." A man, I can't fully see nor describe due to the lack of light almost whispers at me as he approaches.

"Don't know what bad guys could be lurking." Another voice follows.

"That makes you, my love. Very lucky in deed. We'll look after you." Another.

"We'll look after you real good baby." Another.

"Look, I just want to get back home. Please just leave me alone." I suggest, stumbling backwards until I'm met with cold, stone bricks. Brilliant a dead-end.

"Look boys, we've just been invited." The second voice laughs as the four of them close in on me. It's now that I have realised I didn't have my wand on me at all, I didn't think I needed it. I was very wrong.

"I dips going first." A voice I recognise announces and the four of them make room for another. Hector- the sweet boy from the book store. I'm elated at first, until his words dawn on me and I realise that he is not my savour at all. He's the instigator.

"Hello Adi, I've seen you've met my friends. Oh I've told them all about you." He says as he grabs the sides of my cheeks.

"You're a very beautiful girl Adi, you must know that. I knew you were begging for it the moment you stepped into my shop. Now, be a good girl and don't struggle. I don't want to hurt you but I will if you make me." He whispers in my ear and I spit in his face.

"Just let me go. Just stop. I won't tell anyone I swear." I plead but I am met with a smack to my cheek.

"Fucking slut." He says as he grabs me harshly and spins me and pins me to the wall, so that my face now digs into the brick wall.

"I'll make you regret that." He spits as he pulls up my skirt and pulls my underwear to the side. It's at this point where I just shut off completely. I close my eyes, expecting the worse to happen as I hear the unbuckling of a belt. I hear multiple thuds and grunts but I don't react. I can't. I've built up a wall and distance myself from the present, I keep myself wrapped up close.

Until I hear an unexpected voice, one I am too familiar with.

"Adi! Are you okay? They didn't... are you okay Adi?" Brax asks and my eyes shoot open.

"Brax!" I cry as I turn around and launch myself at the boy, barely acknowledging the unconscious bodies around me.

"Shhh... its okay Adi, you had us so worried. Even Tom, he sent us looking for you. I'm sorry I didn't find you fast enough." Brax says, with tears in his eyes as he unwillingly imagines what would have happened had he not got there when he did as a tear falls on Adriana's head.

"Can we go home now?" I ask, looking up at him through the tears in my eyes.

"Yes Adi, You're safe now, I'm here." He whispers.