Dead Love || Tom Riddle

Chapter X - Family Burden

Trigger Warning: Self Harm (literally the last sentence)

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November 20, on that early morning, had been the first that frost turned to snow. It was a light dusting on the landscape, the highlands and the magic castle. The students were rapturous, clamoring over the breakfast of eggs, seed cakes and honey toast, poured apple cider and pumpkin juice in brass goblets. At the professors' table, they, alike their students, discussed the wonderful prospect of the wintery holidays. Only they did such over cigarettes and mulled wine. Headmaster Dippet, easily succumbed to merriment, and happily extended the breakfast.

Tom, who rarely joined breakfast, took his seat beside Professor Slughorn. From the platform, he could watch Aurelie at her table. She'd barely spoken since their kiss, in fairness, he hadn't sought her either. He pressed two fingers to his lips remembering the feeling of hers.

Aurelie held a cup of tea directly under her chin to feel the hot steam crawl up her face. Her friends, when she asked, had no recollection of her outburst. She quickly surmised that Tom had erased their memory. She'd have confronted him in anger if she hadn't remembered his kiss.

Her father's owl dropped a letter into her lap with a black wax seal pinning the pages. The owl landed in front of her plate tilling his head and ruffling his neck of charcoal feathers. He eyed her plate with wide pupils. She tore off a piece of toast and held it in front of his beak. She stuffed the letter in her pocket assuming whatever news her parents sent wasn't to be read publicly and she would prefer to ignore.

Finn Latimer from Slytherin strutted to their table with a pleased expression. He dropped a leather notebook and stack of yellow papers in front of Horcus Sarrow's plate.

"Here you are, Sarrow, Rune translations. I want it done by morning. No mistakes and I want it written in my best handwriting." Sarrow nodded and took the assignment into his lap.

Aurelie touched his arm and whispered, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to." He only gave a sheepish nod and stuffed the papers in his bag.

Latimer stayed to discuss X with Sigyn. A friend from his house ran up with a crumpled newspaper in his fist. He frantically flipped through the pages. Latimer looked over the page at Aurelie.

She wasn't paying much attention, focusing on the sugar dissolving into her tea, but she heard a wave of whispers disturb the great hall. When she looked up multiple pairs of eyes had narrowed on her. Her expression remained innocent and confused.

"What's happening?"

"Has your mother sent word?" Rosie asked. Aurelie felt the weight of the letter in her pocket. She handed her a copy of the Daily Prophet opened to the front page.

"LAVARUS BLACK EXPOSED FOR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE LESTRANGES"

A few years ago, the younger generation of the Lestrange family was on trial for fraud and illegal trade. They were smuggling magical objects from foreign objects, dealing drugs including charmed opium to and from China, and were responsible for many deaths in the muggle and wizarding communities. Lavarus being associated with their crimes did not surprise her. Her cousin was always eager to enter his father's line of work, but a trial could reveal the depth of her entire families' conspiracies which were far deeper than the Lestranges.

The Lestranges refused to testify against each other. In the face of their interrogators, they repeated their motto "Corvus oculum corvi non eruit."

"A crow will not pull out the eye of another crow."

Unfortunately, the Blacks did not inspire the same family loyalty.

Aurelie looked up from the newspaper with a moving picture of her cousin being arrested by the ministry. Darcy and her friends stared at her from the Slytherin table, whispering over the newspaper. Even a handful of teachers held up the article and looked down at Aurelie with suspicion. Suddenly a hot, acidic sensation rose in her throat. She abandoned her breakfast and ran from the Great Hall.

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Augustine was the perfect son. Yes, Merula and Orion had violent punishments for him until adulthood, but as was their duty as parents. As a child, underneath, Aurelie had a small bit of envy. Not only was he able to escape the house, ten months a year and then forever, he was perfect. With paler skin, and neat, black curls, he stood with a dignified, tall posture, and a matured angular face. Before his voice filled out, he spoke well, calm and thorough, without a hint of a shutter. He earned Outstandings in all his studies and traveled the world as any well-educated young man should. If he wasn't the perfect brother, she might have hated him, instead, she didn't love anyone as much as she did him.

Now, lying in her cold bed, still in her uniform with her hair out of its braids spread on the pillow and a letter in hand, she began to resent him for leaving her alone.

News will have reached your school by now of your cousin's exploits. We are exhibited on the papers for his foolishness. Like vultures, they will pick at the bones of our family to unearth our every secret. While he is on trial, you, as heir, will be expected to speak on behalf of your house.

Do nothing. Do not speak of this to anyone at school. Remain silent. Your compliance is your only hope as heir. We maintain the support of other great houses, but they question your inheritance. You, daughter, are under the scrutiny of the public eye.

Rumors will spur about our family as they always have, you mustn't give them a voice. Enough of your strange behavior. Upon your return during the winter holiday, you must prove yourself malleable, if your father isn't to pass over your inheritance to your uncle. I do not expect you to be your brother but do your best not to humiliate our family any further.

Her mother didn't call Lavarus foolish for his illegal dealings, the entire family like many other was involved in wizarding crime, no. But he had been uncovered and left the house to a great manner of suspicion. Consequently, to the trail of the Lestrange family, they'd be eager to convict another Pureblood house.

Her family was steeped in plenty of incriminating dealings. The Blacks must avoid any attention, futilely. And Aurelie was the last Black at Hogwarts her cousins, Orion, named after her father, Walburga and Lavarus of course, had already graduated.

After the death of her brother and the transgressions of her cousin, the papers will voice what everyone thought, the oddness of her character, her worthlessness as heir. Her madness would do her no credit. As her curse strengthened, her composure dissolved into rot. She would never be her brother. She knew how her father, how everyone, looked at her. They waited for her to be disinherited.

She had no ambition to be heir, disinheritance would be a mercy if it didn't mean the wrath of her parents. They would not let her do so quietly.

She'd never prepared for this. No one had expected this of her before. Augustine carried the burden proudly and left it to her in his death.

Blood oozed from the jagged slices on her wrist onto the cotton pillowcase. 

Hi i'm back! Sorry for coming back with such a short, unedited and frankly kinda mid chapter. I was working on my college applications and sort of abandon this story. I'll try to post more consistently. 

Comment and vote please! 

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