Iniquity Approaches Book 2 of Iniquity Series~Complete~

Ch. 23 Setbacks & Confusion

We made it back just twenty minutes before supper time, without our absence being noticed.

Bella and I quickly went to our room to stuff our packages into our trunks, before we shut the door behind us, and headed back towards the Great Hall for supper.

As we rushed down the stairs, we ran into Cissy and Andi, who were already waiting for us in the common room.

Not wanting to get in trouble for running in the halls, we briskly walked towards the Great Hall. Choosing to go sit down quietly on the left end of the table, since the table was practically empty when we reached the Great Hall.

As the hall slowly began to fill up with the students of the other houses, Cissy sat down next to me. She looked back at the other end of the table, where Tom had suddenly appeared.

"Don't start, Narcissa. You said so yourself, he's going with Vi from Gryffindor. Now drop the subject. Please." I practically begged, trying to not cry, looking at the far wall, instead of towards her.

I noticed Avery as he sat down with us, stiffly, much too stiffly, as if he were in pain.

I raised an eyebrow at Tom, after I noticed him watching us along with Dolohov and another five other people around him smirks plastered onto their faces. All were looking in our direction except Tom, who was almost shaking in silent laughter.

A stare down began as he looked back at me with an intense gaze. Neither of us ceasing until someone called his attention away, forcing him to look away and break contact.

"What's wrong, Billy?" I asked, putting my elbow on the table and my hand cupping my chin.

"Nothing, my lady." He said, lowly.

I sighed, knowing the answer before I even asked the question, "He did something didn't he?" I asked, feeling Tom's gaze on me again.

"Did you end up asking Lacy Davidson to the ball?" I wondered as the food appeared.

"She already had a date. I believe she's going with your cousin? Uncle? McLaggen. I'm sure you realize who I am talking about." He said, grabbing his food stiffly, flinching every now and then.

"Interesting. So, you don't have a date? Hmm..." Cissy said, as Lucius sat down hesitantly.

It was then that's when I knew something was up.

I slowly inhaled deeply, as I focused on looking through Lucius' mind.

He must of felt when I started invading his mind because his wide eyes snapping to my cool ones.

I saw a memory of what seemed to be this afternoon, right after Divination.

Tom hitting Avery with a spell that had him on the floor biting his lip so hard, it begun to bleed.

"So, that's what happened to Billy." I muttered, my nose twitching as I felt the scowl form on my lips.

He nodded, stiffly once in response and continued eating.

I smirked as I threw my arm around Bellatrix's neck and flicked my wrist towards the end of the table, where Tom sat reading a book. Silently watching as he stiffened in his seat.

'Your possessiveness is warring out my patience.' I thought as I pushed into his mind.

'It's not possessiveness rather than an attempt to protect you. Avery, himself, told me what he wants from you in return for escorting you.' He thought back seethingly, as his jaw flexed.

'How do I know you aren't lying to me? How can I trust you, after all, you've been lying about a lot of things too, remember?' I asked him, warily, as he turned to make eye contact with me.

As we stared at each other, I felt a shiver go through me...

'By remembering that I've been there for you since we were both eleven. When no one else was there for you, I was.' He thought back, his entire frame still sitting stiffly as I flicked my wrist releasing him from the spell.

"Billy, what did you say to Tom?" I asked, putting down my forks.

"N-nothing, my lady." He stuttered avoiding eye contact.

'Voldemort' I heard a through the thoughts of someone in the table.

I inhaled sharply and let it out slowly. "Lucius, I need a word with you after dinner. I want answers, clear and truthful ones. Girls meeting in my room tonight after speaking to him." I said, trying to control the anger I began to feel.

He nodded his blue eyes widening at my tone.

I hardly ate the rest of my food, preferring to stab into the baked potato repeatedly, taking my anger out on it.

"Sophie, I think the potato has had enough, it's dead. You've ferociously murdered it. Might I add that it has suffered a violent death." Bella said, eyeing the potato and my hand wrapped tightly around the fork.

I dropped my fork as soon as she said that. It clanked loudly onto the plate, making people, including the professor seated at the front of the room look over to where I was.

After dinner I waited for everyone to begin leaving the Great Hall and then slowly made my way up to the seventh floor. When I reached the place I wanted, I began to pace back and forth in front of the stone wall, focusing on what I wanted to appear. After the fourth time I turned, as door appeared in on the wall.

When I opened the door, a wide room with nothing but a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a couple of armchairs

I paced almost angrily across the room.

My hand beginning to clench and unclench, as I walked around the room for the fifth time, when the door suddenly opened, revealing the girls and Lucius.

"Sit." I ordered, willing myself to calm down.

"I will ask this nicely, and I suggest you answer all of my questions truthfully before I lose my cool." I said, sitting down across from him.

He nodded, hesitantly in response.

"What has Tom been up to? Has he opened the Chamber of Secrets in these past few weeks?" I asked, feeling a bit more relaxed as I asked these questions out loud.

"As far as I know, my Lady, he hasn't opened it. Though seeing as he's been in a worse mood lately than before. You were the one who lightened his mood, might I add. But as of now, he has mainly just been plotting to get you back. No one, has ever seen him act like this. It's so- out of character for him." Lucius said.

I looked down, trying to clear my confused head. "Did Avery actually tell him that he wanted something in return for escorting me to the ball?" I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer to the question.

"Actually, Tom used Legilimency. To tell you he was furious would be putting it lightly, he almost used a killing curse on him." He said, not meeting my eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at him before closing and taking a deep breath. "I just don't know what to believe anymore." I finally said, rubbing my hand over my face.

"What are you going to do?" He asked me, carefully.

"I don't know. Go back to the common room, I wish to be alone." I said, not making eye contact with anyone as they left the room.