Rosie ⎮ Tom Riddle

Thirty Five

Welcome home

Rosalie,

Every time I look over to the other side of the bed and see you're not there, I can't help but feel the same loneliness that hit me the night you said you'd seen him. I can only assume now that you're with him, that he's manipulated your fragile heart into fighting for him when he's not a person worth fighting for.

You don't want to know what I would've done just to keep you by my side, to keep you away from him. I can see the truth, the one truth that I could've made you happier than he says he can.

Death will follow you wherever you go as long as you're by his side. Can't you see it? His steps walk on the line of grey ash between hell and ruin. He'll ruin you. Perhaps he has already.

I love you so much. I appreciated every part of you. I was the one you should've been with. I found your ring tossed on the floor under the bookcase. You said you'd marry me. You said you'd marry him as well; I understand that now. But you should be with me because you fell in love with me second. So how can you be so sure you love him? Because he was your first? Because in some twisted way, you thought he saved you? It's not worth it, Rosalie. He's not worth it.

Did you do the same thing to him? When you ran away from him, you did it for a reason. You knew in your heart that it was the right thing to do, didn't you?

This is why, when I ask you this now, I want you to think about it with the open mind that you showed me when you said you'd marry me. Dumbledore needs you. The Order needs you. Think about all the innocent lives that could be saved if you just killed—

  Rosalie's hands trembled as she read the final lines. Anger and despair churned within her. She crumpled the paper into a tight ball and threw it into the fireplace in front of her.

  The flames consumed the letter, the words of Daniel burning away into nothingness. The warmth of the fire contrasted sharply with the cold feeling his words had burnt into her. She'd left Daniel, left the order, left her friends for something bigger. She had convinced herself of it. 

  Rosalie didn't dare to look a the other letter on the side table of the couch. She recognised the handwriting from the moment she made it back to their front door this afternoon. Lily's words would've hurt her too much to read.

  The sudden sound of the locked door coming undone sang throughout the apartment. Rosalie lifted her hand from her mouth and turned her head back to face the door. Tom pushed through the door, closing it behind him quickly before his entering the living room. He combed a hand through his hair and shrugged off his jacket. His presence immediately filled the room with a dark intensity.

  Rosalie quickly wiped her eyes, hiping to hide the evidence of any emotion that letter from Daniel had managed to rile up. She stood up from the couch and approached him, mustering a smile at his handsome form.

  "Hi." Her voice was soft.

  He looked at her, noticing her now. Concern flickered in his eyes but it quickly turned to happiness when she walked into his arms.  

  "Evening, love." He murmured, his voice soothing. He leaned in and kissed her cheek gently. After only having her back for a short time it seemed odd to have her in their home again. Fitting, but out of date. 

  "I'm sorry," She began. Moving away from his touch as she held her hands up to her eyes again. "I haven't made any dinner," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Daniel always insisted he did it." 

  Tom grabbed her back, noticing the missing tone in her voice. "If you don't want to, it's fine. Really." He said, cupping her face in his hands, his touch warm and reassuring.