Always || Tom Riddle

Dementors

The next day we left Malfoy Manor, evaporating outside of the secluded thatched cottage, which was set beside a picturesque beach in Cornwall. The second our feet touched the floor, Amber made straight for the front door, audibly gasping once inside, following shortly after her, I marvelled at how the house was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside, before my gaze turned to the door, where Tom now stood, hands in his coat pockets. 

"I knew you would like it here" A smile made its way onto my lip's, before it dropped and I took a few steps closer to him. 

"Did you tell anyone that we were here?" 

"Only Malfoy, but he won't betray us to anyone...I made it very clear to him what the penalty for betraying me would be" Closing the door, he disappeared after Amber, while I remained in the hallway, hearing her giggling and muffled talking through the hundreds of years old walls. Deciding to join them, I stopped in front of the threshold to what looked like a young girls room, filled to the brim with teddy bears, dolls, and small clothes. 

"How would you like to go out for dinner tonight?" He asked, crouching so that he was the same height as Amber.

"I would like that very much!" 

"Tom, we can't, what if we are found?!" 

"We haven't even been on holiday for five minutes, and already you are worrying!" A mocking smirk was sent my way, which Tom made no effort to hide, as he crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for that excited child of his to make a complaint. 

"Mummy, pleeeaase?" I tried to avoid the puppy face she was giving me, believe me, I tried. Apparently, one puppy look was all it took for Amber to win me over, which was how we now found ourselves casting a spell to change our appearance; Tom going out as a fair-haired doctor in training, Amber as his  small for her age niece, and me, as his new girlfriend from Russia, who had striking green eyes and ginger hair.   

"Now Amber, you have to call us by our middle names, alright?" She nodded, looking eager to leave, and half-heartedly listening. 

"Ready, Clara?" Taking his hand, and firmly holding onto little Ambers, I nodded,  and we evaporated, ending up in the small town of Callington. Night was quickly falling, but the little light that remained was enough for us to find a restaurant in which to have dinner. Taking a seat on the furthest table away from the locals, we ordered; the food arriving at the table in no longer than twenty minutes. While the others finished their food, I was left with half a plate, my stomach churning, something was going to happen, I could feel it, it was inevitably approaching, and the worst part? There was nothing any of us could do about it. Once safely back at the cottage, I tucked Amber into bed, heading downstairs to find Tom, lying on the floor beside the fire, curled up into a ball and shaking in pain. 

"T-Tom?" When he did not respond, I made quickly for him, falling onto my knees as I gently guided him to a sitting position. 

"What is it? What's wrong?" Sweat dripped from his forehead, as his eyes slowly met mine, his face contorted in pain.

"One of my Horcruxes was just destroyed" 

"How do you know?" 

"It is the same pain I felt when I made them" This had to be the most vulnerable I had ever seen him, ever. The room fell silent, as Toms expression went blank, and he stared at the floor in front of him, boring holes into it like the floorboards had been the one to cause him such pain. 

"Tom...let me help you" In a flash, he was up, a crinkle in his forehead, as he stared at me in what looked like disbelief. 

"I don't need your help! I'm the Dark Lord! I do not need help from anyone!" 

"You need rest-"

"NO! I need to find who did this, and kill them!" He made for the door, flinging it open so hard I thought it would fall off of its hinges. 

"Wait! At least let me go with you" Freezing, he turned back to me, the more rational Tom seeming to return for a moment. He was before me in a split second, cupping my cheek, and pressing his lips to my forehead. 

"Stay here, where I know you will be safe. I won't be gone too long, don't worry" And then, he was gone, disappearing into the darkness.

I had little sleep that night, tossing and turning, desperately trying to find the solace that sleep offered me. Standing from the bed, I wrapped a wool blanket around me, heading downstairs and outside, where I walked barefoot onto the beach. At first, the soft sounds of the waves breaking onto the sand soothed me, and I began to feel tired enough to sleep, that was until my eyes met with the storm clouds that were rolling in, as the sea grew rougher, and all signs of life diminished. Time seemed to ground to a halt,  only one creature was capable of such a thing; Dementors. Running back to the cottage, I woke Amber up, practically dragging her back outside the house, only to meet face to face with a Dementor, which upon getting close enough began to suck the life out of me. 

"Amber, go!" She screamed, turning on her heels and running away towards the nearby forest, while I was left to fend for myself. Every happy memory that I had was being taken away from me, the world around me darkening as stars began to appear before my eyes, I was dying. Suddenly, just as I thought I was going to lose consciousness, a blue light appeared, sending the Dementors fleeing. 

"Come on, wake up, Clara!" My vision slowly returned as I became aware of my surroundings once more, my blurred gaze turning to the man sat beside me, slowly unblurring enough to allow me to see who it was. 

"Tom?" My eyes flickered over to the empty space beside him, and I frowned, looking for Amber. 

"Where is Amber?" 

"Inside"It was only now that I fully understood what the Horcruxes had done to Tom, for he no longer looked like himself, and was now in the shape of Voldemort. 

"What happened to you?" 

"I tried to change back, but I can't...I am still the same, Clara, it just seems as though the locket being destroyed-" Placing my hand on his, I gave him a faltering smile, as I searched for any Dementors in the distance. 

"They fled, they cannot hurt you now" 

"What made you come back? Did you find the person who destroyed the Locket?" 

"No...If I had I-" 

"It was Harry Potter, Dumbledore was the only one who suspected you, now that he is dead, Harry has taken his place in being your downfall" Tom suddenly seemed to piece it all together, for a look of realization crossed his features, as he weakly stood up, drawing his wand out from beneath his robes. 

"How is it you know this?" 

"Penelope talks, Tom, perhaps sending letters to her was not so bad after all..." 

"You would turn on your own friend?" Huffing, I got to my feet, feeling dizzier the longer I stood, but determined not to show it to Tom, I kept my face unreadable, and my guards up.

"For you, I would do anything, Tom. I thought you knew that" For a moment, it seemed like I had gotten through to the innocent child that Tom kept chained up inside him, the good side, that everyone, even Tom, had buried deep within them. 

"I must go, if what you say is true, I need the Elder wand, it is the only wand that will be able to defeat the boy."

"But that is mere legend!" 

"To you, maybe, but to me, it is as real as the ground beneath our feet." And with that, he disappeared for the second time that night, as daybreak eventually broke, and I made my way quietly back inside, falling in a heap onto the sofa; in some ways this was good, if Tom could get hold of the Elder wand, then the prophecy would be fulfilled...but if he was not its master, and if in his weakened state, he lost the fight, then life as me and Amber knew would end. 

AN: Hey guys! So yes, I finally updated! And I hope this wasn't too bad, or short, I really tried, I just am trying to take this the way I imagined it. I would be grateful if you could comment and vote! Thank you! I hope you have a good day/ evening/morning/night!