Modification || T. Riddle || Completed

Chapter 40: Confronting the Cold

Chapter 40: Confronting the Cold

The door to the Room of Requirement slowly disappeared into nothingness as they shut it tight behind them. The mountains of missing items, the hills of history hidden from the world, and a confession was closed off from the rest of the world – unfamiliar to anyone but them – their little secret.

Estela was smiling to herself sheepishly as she walked by Tom's side down the empty corridor, making their way back out the castle. She felt as light as a feather as they walked in a comforting silence, with Tom's mere presence by her side making her feel at ease.

There was a fiery feeling of fleet expanding within her that she couldn't overlook. Her whole body was in flames as she lost herself in what it was like to be near him. This is what she had wanted. That one confession to assure her that what she was doing was working. That he could be changed.

But she had to remember that outside of the walls of the Room of Requirement, they were still meant to be rivals - two people who weren't supposed to feel anything for each other as they secretly walked their forbidden path, wherever it may lead them.

Suddenly, she was dragged back to the real world as utter terror replaced her bliss when they both stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the figure before them.

A gaunt, staring character covered in silver bloodstains looked equally as shocked as he gaped at them both. The sound of chains echoed down the hallway as the Bloody Baron shifted, his black eyes wide and staring.

Estela glanced up at Tom nervously who was looking the ghost dead in the eye, no fear whatsoever gracing his features. He met her gaze briefly and that's when she realised that he didn't have a plan. They'd been caught.

She sighed as she looked back at the Baron, awaiting her punishment, feeling miserable as she thought of what Headmaster Dippet would say. This was bad. Really bad.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his deep voice mixed with the sound of the chattering chains hung around his body.

Estela looked up at Tom expectantly, sure that he'd have a way out of this. He always had a way. But the look on his face said it all: he didn't have a way out. He hadn't even turned on his smooth, unbeatable confidence to wriggle them out of the situation.

Estela looked down at the ground as she waited for their inevitable escort to Dippet's office, every fragment of elation she had just been feeling crumbling away.

"Follow me," rang the Baron's haunting voice from the other end of the corridor.

A part of her wanted to dissolve into nothingness just to escape whatever punishment they would face, yet another part of her wanted to smirk as she said 'I told you so' to Tom, who had insisted that they wouldn't get caught.

Estela shot Tom a questioning look as they followed the Baron, and Tom looked just as confused as she did by the direction in which they were heading. This wasn't the way to the Headmaster's office.

All was silent as they walked through the dimly lit castle, with nothing but the sound of their footsteps and the clanking of chains echoing around them as they followed the ghost. Deep down, Estela wished that Helena would turn up. Maybe she would do something – anything – to get her out of this situation. But Estela knew that wherever the Baron was, Helena was as far away as she could possibly be.

When they reached the Entrance Hall, the Baron gestured silently for them to ascend the swirling steps of the Astronomy Tower, his black eyes dead and staring as he looked at them.

Estela furrowed her brow in confusion, becoming more and more suspicious with each step. She didn't want to go any further. She would rather escort herself to Dippet's office and turn herself in than face whatever it was the Baron had planned for them.