June 20. My birthday. I wake up in the morning, and Kim seems to have already left. Strange, usually she's already sitting next to my bed on my birthday. I get up and get dressed and make my way to the Great Hall. I haven't seen Tom since our argument, and I doubt he knows it's my birthday either. I miss him and have no idea what he's been up to the last few days. I get to the Great Hall, and Kim and Sebastian and a few others are already there to greet me.
They wish me a happy birthday first thing as they see me walking towards the table, and they all hand me birthday cards. They're also surprised that Tom isn't here with them, but they don't know what they can even do about it. They're all very friendly towards me, as I've developed close relationships with them over the course of the years. The Birthday cards are really sweet and I hug everyone and I am so happy about the gift "Thank you guys that's so sweet of you" I'm still sad that Tom isn't here but despite that we enjoy breakfast and Kim tells us that she has a party planned for tonight, but first we have to get through the lessons. The other students all seem to agree with this, and nobody seems to be surprised that Tom is missing from my birthday celebration today. At this point, I'm used to him being so unpredictable in terms of his behavior that I've just sort of accepted that this is part of who he is and that I still love him despite the inconsistencies. We all have breakfast together, and the other students are excited to hear that we'll have a party this evening. But I'm still not thinking about this too much, and I also try to focus on my classes for the day.
Suddenly someone covers my eyes and whispers softly in my ear "Hey, I know we had a fight last time but happy birthday, my love" I wince and take the hands covering my eyes in my hands and turn around. "Tom..." I hug him tightly, and he immediately puts his arms around me. Everything feels right again now that I'm in his arms. The previous fight almost seems unimportant now, as he holds me now, and we both just stay in each other's arms for a moment. I notice the other students all looking at us with surprise on their faces, but no one seems angry or even really that curious about it. It's like we are in our own world right now, and they're perfectly fine to let us be. Tom lets go of me and hands me a small box. "How did you know about my birthday?" I ask him teasingly. Tom smiles as he hands me the small box, and his voice is filled with affection when he speaks.
"I know everything about you, my love. I knew it was your birthday without even having to ask. And I wanted to give you something as a little surprise. I hope you like it." I open the box, and there's a ring inside. A ring with a beautiful engraving snake and a green stone as an eye. "It's a promise. No matter what happens or what I do. I'll always come back to you. "
"It's beautiful, thank you." Tom kisses my forehead, and I put the ring on. "Sit down with us, Tom." As I put the ring on, I feel like I'm finally seeing the real Tom again. I'm seeing his thoughtful and sweet side, and it makes my heart flutter just a little bit. Tom smiles softly, and his eyes seem to shine brightly as ever when he sits next to me with the rest of the students. Everyone is chatting happily, and the atmosphere seems much more uplifting than before.
We spend the rest of the day in class and then I want to spend some time with Tom before the little party starts so we go for a walk outside
"Tom...can we talk about what happened a few days ago?" I say nervously as we hold hands."Tell me what the diary is all about, please. " I look at him seriously. Tom's expression suddenly looks solemn and a little serious as he hears me mention the diary again. He takes a deep breath, and then he begins to speak.
"Before I can tell you about the diary, I have to tell you something else. It...it's about who my family is and what I'm going to be doing this summer. I don't want you to worry, but there are some things that you should know."
"What should I know, Tom?" We stop at a small rise, and Tom is now holding my face carefully, as a gentle breeze flows by. He looks into my eyes intently, and he takes a deep breath before he speaks.
"The reason my diary is empty is because...well, I have a hidden part of myself. A dark side. And the summer I'll be away from you...that dark side is going to emerge. I don't want these parts of me to hurt you or to upset you or to scare you, but things will be...darker for me this summer."
"What do you mean...I..." Tom takes my face more firmly in his hand and says,"You mustn't tell anyone about this, have you heard? No one can know about this"
I look at him in surprise and nod frantically. "I got it, Tom. I won't ask anymore. " Tom looks at me with concern, and I can see that he's still worried even though I'm telling him I won't ask any more questions. He's just glad that I'm not panicking after hearing this. He lets go of my face now, and he speaks again.
"Just... just trust me on this. It's something very important and it needs to stay hidden. But whatever I do this summer, I promise you, it's for the greater good. And it will be in relation to my family... my past...do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand." Then I look at my ring and say,"The main thing is that you come back to me. You promised"
"Yes. I promised. I'll come back to you...I'll come back to you a better man, and I'll only love you even more than I do now. That's a promise." Tom now smiles softly at me, and he then holds my hand with gentle care, but then he looks back with concern once again as he speaks.
"And just...keep that ring on. Keep it on at all times. Ok? I need you to remember you're mine and I'm yours...is that clear?" We lean our foreheads against each other, and I say softly."You don't have to worry. I'm all yours. " Tom smiles again, and he leans his forehead against mine carefully as well. We are both just holding each other's hands now, and I feel so safe with him like this. He leans in closer to me now, and he whispers softly to me
"That's good to know. Because in a few days, I'm going to be leaving for the summer, and things will get a little... dark. You're very important to me. I love you."
YOU ARE READING
Tom Riddle - Downfall
Fanfiction"The monsters were never under my bed. Because the monsters were inside my head. Because all this time the monster has been me." This is the Story of Tom Riddle and his life in Hogwarts when he was 17 and Lucia Grey, a popular girl from Slytherin bu...
