Always || Tom Riddle

Lord Voldemort's confession

Another two days had passed since the Doctor had been to visit me. I was struggling on, but everyone was on edge. None knew how long I had left, and everyday that passed, when my breakfast was brought up by the house elves, I saw the looks they gave me, a look of relief would wash over their little faces as they saw my chest still rising and falling. Thankfully, my voice had came back, and I was now able to speak enough to tell Snape how I was feeling. While I was being visited often by Penelope, there was no sign of Tom. Not once since that night had he come to see me. 

When I inquired after him to Penelope, she would go pale, stating that he was unwell, and that often he would sit by the fire, staring into it with an unwavering cold glare, clutching onto my horcrux necklace until his hand went white. I understood that Tom was taking this badly, but I would still have liked to see him, even if he was in a mood when he did visit. It was better than being stuck here with no company except for house elves and Penelope. So when he did come through the door, after my barely touched breakfast had been taken out, it was a surprise. His eyes wouldn't meet mine as he took the seat beside my bed. By the dark circles and bags under his eyes, he had not been getting much sleep. 

"How have you been?" Toms voice came out hoarse and weak, he was suffering, I could tell that just by one glimpse of him.

"Better" Tears began to brim his eyes, while standing from his chair, he slowly came closer to me until our breath mingled together.  Planting a soft kiss on my lips and forehead, he lovingly clutched my hand, retaking his seat, as salty tears began to fall onto his cheeks. Upon him pressing his lips to my unusually cold hand, I let out a sob, never had he been this loving to me, its as if my illness, and my impending death, was all it took to break through his guards, which he had kept so strong all these years. 

"Sleep my dear, you need rest" Opening my mouth to protest, one broken look from him was all it took for me to rethink my actions. Closing my eyes, I let out a huff, showing that had it not been for his pleas, I would not be doing this. Twenty minutes later, and he had still not let go of my hand, but I was beginning to fall asleep, so I guessed that he would allow me some time to go fully to sleep before leaving, that was what I thought, until he began to speak softly, whispering which was hardly audible, and in a voice, that you would not recognize as his, it was that of a broken man, a man who had tried too hard, for too long, and had broken as a result. 

"Don't go, please don't go. Please don't leave me, you are the milk of human kindness...the light in my dark, dark world, without you life is a dessert, a howling wilderness. Please God, in your mercy, don't take her away from me, my daughter needs her mother, and I need my beautiful, beautiful wife. If I could take back everything I had ever done, to keep her at my side, believe me now, I would... I know, I have never been an overly Religious man, nor have I been the kindest person on Earth, but everything I do, everything I have ever done, was for her." Opening my eyes, I met his instantly, for he had been looking at me with an agonizing expression, one that broke my heart to see, and would haunt me forever. Playing with my hands, while trying to preoccupy himself, I could tell at any moment he was going to have another breakdown. That was until, he reached into his pocket and took out the time turner. 

"I wont let you go that easily-" Then with Toms dark eyes moving from the time turner, he gave me a quick peck on the lips. 

"If I don't come back, I have left everything to you and Amber" All the while placing the time turner around his neck. 

"I think its time I took a trip back to  1943" 

"Tom please, don't go" 

"I wont fail you Clara, not again, you'll see." And then with an uncountable amount of turns on the time turner, he was gone.