A Story of a Short Ending | T.R

Chapter 26 - The Dog and the Treat

Hozier - Empire Now

The next morning was an understandably late one, with everyone allowing themselves to catch up on sleep they missed out on because of the nightly adventures. The information Riddle shared with them still didn't sit quite right with the Death Eaters, as they tried to make sense of the situation and failed.

The breakfast was mostly silent, as they had had enough of each other's presence during the night and aside from the usual chatter here and there everyone tended to their food and left to busy themselves with their business.

The women on the other hand cut their breakfast short and gathered outside, the garden being their safest place in the Manor. The clouds above them darkened, as for once the weather wasn't abnormally hot and the sun decided to stay hidden as if knowing that the day was going to be tough.

"It doesn't make sense to me," Emily said as she looked at the skies above.

"She almost killed you, she would've if Lestrange didn't get you in time," Dirca looked at Laion who once more chose to sit on the damn grass instead of the garden furniture.

"She wouldn't have, she was putting on a show," Laion countered, her expression showing just how many thoughts ran through her head.

"And yet your neck was completely blue after she left," Emma gave her a pointed look.

What Laion told them about her encounter with Emily didn't sit right with them and like the men inside the Manor, they were severely confused. The bigger picture didn't want to come together and it was bothering all of them to be left in the darkness about such crucial information like this.

"If she wanted to kill her, she would've done it," Liese was as optimistic as it gets.

"Exactly," Laion agreed, she herself didn't quite understand why was she defending the girl who snapped the air out of her lungs and wrecked half of her bedroom, but something told her there was more to the story than all of them knew.

"It's still foolish to trust her words, she betrayed Riddle, what is there to prove she isn't lying to you?" Angeline stayed close to the facts she knew, not trying to indulge in pointless assumption-making.

"I don't know," Laion shrugged, "I think it makes sense. He killed her, or at least tried to. Now when she gained her freedom back she needs someone on her side. We know Riddle better than anyone if to put his puppies aside. She knew they would kill her on sight and maybe she knew how he dragged us into it and decided that it would be worth a shot?"

The theory did make sense if one thought about it, but why would she think the women would switch sides and fight against the man who held the lives of their loved ones in his fist? He didn't want to hurt them or at least he hadn't stooped so low just yet, while Emily was a wild card that could bring more trouble than it was worth. Maybe it was a test from Riddle to make sure they are loyal?

"I don't want to risk it more than we already do," Emily shook her head.

"There is no guarantee that we wouldn't be switching one monster for another. Nobody knows what she actually wants and in her state, she can lie through her teeth. No one can check anything anyway," Dirca lounged in the plush chair, her elegant clothes without a doubt showing her status.

"Never thought I'd say that but between the two Riddle seems a more reasonable choice," Emma confirmed with a grim face, admitting things like such were never an easy deal.

The women sat in silence for the longest of moments, the weight of the choice that wasn't really a choice laid on their shoulders. Should they trust a woman who spent several years captured in a portrait and just now escaped back to freedom? The woman who betrayed the man she worked for and provided the information for someone else. The facts were conflicting, as the wish to get out of Riddle's hold was ever so present but choosing the possible bigger evil wouldn't be a wise choice any of them would want to make.