A Story of a Short Ending | T.R

Chapter 15 - Trouble in Paradise

Avery gave Emily a puzzled look, his eyes growing wary.

"How did you know it was a she?"

The girls exchanged looks as if to contemplate whether they could trust him, they knew Dirca would fully trust her husband but could they reveal what they saw to Avery? Would he go straight to Riddle who would take matters into his own hands and worsen their punishment for not telling him themselves?

Dirca gave a slight nod of her head to Emily, who warily looked back at Avery and then sighed "We saw a woman in the gardens, she was wearing a white nightgown and had blonde hair, that's all I saw." Emily gestured at the treeline that now stood calmly, with no wind or disturbance.

Avery followed her gesture, looking around the treeline before sparing a look down at his wife. He glanced back at the peaceful Manor as he came around Dirca's chair and sat down in the chair next to hers, resting his elbows on his knees as he contemplated his words for a moment before speaking.

"I don't know much about the portrait, and neither does Malfoy or anyone else back there.' He gestured at the Manor with his head, his hand finding Dirca's as he took it into his and rested their hands on his lap "All I know is that she is someone's distant relative who died a few years ago in a mysterious way. Her family wasn't rich so they used their last scraps to order a portrait in her memory since they couldn't afford a funeral. Things got worse with time and they were forced to sell it, somehow Malfoy's father found it and brought it up there. That's all I know."

They all looked at each other, processing the information Avery shared with them just now. The fact that it was Avery sitting with them, telling them secrets others either didn't know or didn't want to share, was already making them suspicious as his intentions remained undiscovered. He had a wife he loved, whom he couldn't let go of quite literally as their hands lay intertwined in his lap, but was it enough to act behind the back of the Dark Lord he feared so much?

"What does Riddle have to do with this story? Why did he react like that?" Angeline asked, her gaze distant as she tried to put the pieces together in her head. The additional information didn't help much. A girl approximately their age died and was denied the funeral, someone drew a portrait of her and now she somehow left those canvases and was spying on them in the gardens of the Manor.

Avery raised an eyebrow, genuine confusion lacing his features as he looked back at Angeline.

"Riddle? I don't think he has stepped a foot in the gallery since arriving here. I don't think he knows that portrait exists or that something happened to it." His tone was sincere and honest.

"Why did he run out of the room like that once the portrait fell then? It surely had to do something with it." Emma furrowed her eyebrows in doubt, something was off.

"Abraxas said he just went back to his bedroom, maybe he had some other business to tend to. I doubt it had anything to do with the portrait." Avery shrugged, looking back at the Manor once more, making sure no windows were open or curious eyes and ears were on them and their conversations.

"Why is it such a secret?" Emily asked him, watching the man make sure that no one else heard their conversation as if he was afraid of the information spreading past the minds of those present here.

Even though trusting four strangers with this wasn't his smartest move either, he could trust Dirca for sure, he married her and there was no question of their mutual trust, but he barely knew other women in front of him. He knew Angeline and Laion from Hogwarts as they shared the House colours and graduated the same year, Emma graduating with them but in Ravenclaw colours. Emily on the other hand graduated several years later, slipping out of Avery's field of knowledge. They could easily go back to Riddle, and use this opportunity to tell him how one of his loyal Death Eaters is keeping secrets from him, definitely pushing for their punishment to be revoked as they helped him out but something told Avery that wouldn't happen.