Sacred Silence | A Tom Riddle Story

42: Her fathers daughter.

Dorian Selwyns visit to Hogsmeade spared Milo that next evening.

Shiv was completely taken by surprise. Her father never did spontaneous visits like this. He didn't even do regular visits.
When the note was delivered to her during breakfast, she nearly threw up. Her body always immediately rejected everything as soon as he was anywhere near.

It was hard to drag herself through all her classes that day. Besides her fathers invitation to meet her in the Three Broomsticks at 8, her body was still aching slightly from the cruse she took yesterday evening.

When she got up that morning, the first thing she noticed were her slightly red and bruised knees, giving Tom his wanted result of reminding her of sitting on her knees in front of him.
Those few seconds in between when he had ordered her to sit, and when he hit her with the curse, still played on a loop in her mind almost 12 hours later. Clear as glass, his dark eyes looking down up her with an expression so sinister, it was enchanting.

The eye contact was an act of defiance, since she never dared to look up at her dad when he had cursed her. In a small way, she wanted to prove to herself that this act of abuse from Tom was different. She accepted it, held her chin up high. It was this, or being confronted with her trauma, so she chose to believe what she wanted.
She knew Tom hadn't cast the cruse as strong as he could have. She had seen what he did to Altair and Abraxas, and what she felt couldn't even have been close.
Still, her ribs ached when she sat down, and she felt immensely tired during the whole day.

When dinner was over, Siobhan was left alone at the Ravenclaw table. She hadn't eaten much, and she was still staring down at the sad bowl of pudding in front of her.
She sighed and pushed it away. There was no need in trying to eat until she got back. The clock above the entrance showed her it was a little past 7.
She decided to go, even though she would be early. Maybe she could take a couple of shots before her dad arrived in the Three broomsticks.

Sadly enough, when she pushed her way through the door of the cafe, she was immediately met with the stoic face of her father.
He was sitting in a small booth to the left of the bar, a spot chosen by a man who wanted privacy.
It was busy and hot inside, so Shiv took off her cloak and hung it on her arm as she made her way over to Dorian.

'Siobhan, how nice of you to accept my invitation to meet at such late notice,' he said with forced fatherly warmth.
Dorian stood up and stepped around the table, opening up his arms for her to hig him.

Shiv took a deep breath and stepped towards her dad, embracing him briefly. His posture was steady, confirming the way he demanded attention in a room. When Dorian entered somehwhere, eyes followed and people would quiet down to whispers. Her father wasn't just a wizard; he was a forceful presence in any space he occupied.

'I didn't have anything else planned,' she lied as she slid down on one of the couches of the booth. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of interrupting her schedule.
After folding her cloak up, she placed it beside her and forced herself to look up at her dad.

Dorian followed by sitting down as well, raising his eyes in what looked like judgemental surprise. 'Oh?'

'I mean, I've been busy,' she quickly added in a serious tone. She put her hands on the table and twisted the ruby bracelet on her wrist, losing the battle with herself by lowering her eyes.

'You better be,' her father said with an emotionless smile audible in his voice.
When the barmaid walked past, he raised his hand and ordered two glasses of red wine.
It was a Selwyn standard, since they owned several big wine distributors. It was the first drink she ever had, and it was the only alcohol she actually enjoyed. Altair used to joke that their family didn't have blood, but wine in their veins.