My Father, Tom Riddle

Chapter 7

Harry Potter kissed me.
He looked so curious and scared and handsome that I leant in closer, feeling the softness of his full lips against mine.
My heart fluttered as he leant back, looking at me sheepishly. I felt my cheeks blush and I resist the urge to girlishly squeal.
"That was...."
"Unexpected." I giggle.
Then, I lean in again.
I was selfish, I knew, but I was just going to be selfish for a while longer.
After sneaking out of the Room of Requirement to make it to lunch, I sat at the Slytherin table, stealing glances at Harry.
He looked so handsome in the midday light, his jet-black hair catching the sun in a way I never really paid attention to before.
He looked back at me, and I couldn't help but blush profusely as he sent a smile warm enough to melt glaciers.
"What the heck is wrong with you? Why weren't you at Potions?" Arabella snaps.
I look dazedly at her and make up an excuse.
"I felt ill."
"So that's why you're looking so flushed! Unless.... there was a boy involved, wasn't there? Did you kiss?" Arabella squeals.
I pinch her leg and shush her.
"Of course not!!" I groaned. Oh, how she would FREAK if she knew.
I stifled a chuckle as she stared at me with her golden eyes.
"Nothing happened, I swear." I smile.
All of a sudden, Arabella goes rigid.
"Nothing happened." she mutters, her voice robotic.
Powers of manipulation, of course.
I curse my father under my breath in Parseltongue, my voice going deep and crackly.
The lights dim and his voice echoes around the room, despite all of the other students remaining normal as if they hear nothing.
He speaks in Parseltongue to me, but I know exactly what he's saying.
"Tonight, or they die." my father orders.
With that, the lights brighten back up and the fireplaces continue blazing.
I just can't help the chill that keeps running up and down my spine.
"Are you ill, Delphi?" Malfoy sneers, his blonde hair flashing with gel.
"I'm perfectly fine, thanks. Your hair isn't, though." I laugh forcedly through gritted teeth.
Draco's face blushes red as he pats his hair delicately.
"Pansy loves it. She has been staring at me all morning." Draco fires back.
"Aaawww, your first love!" I tease. "Be careful. This may be your last."
Crabbe and Goyle bang their heavy fists into their palms, anger evident on their fat faces.
Malfoy gives me a pointed look, his thin face going sour.
"I am hoping you don't fulfil your father's wishes tonight." Malfoy whispers, pulling my ear to his mouth. "Because, then I can finally get rid of you."
With that, Malfoy stalks of with his cloak billowing in the wind.
My head spins with worry. So, I really could die tonight.
Well, I better not stuff it up.
I stayed awake until the middle of the night before silent creeping out of the common room. The school is deathly quiet - no one is stirring. The only sound I hear are my soft footsteps and muffled voices of teachers and paintings' midnight gossip sessions.
I ease open the front doors, stifling the creak with my wand. The moon gives a dim glow as I step onto the grass.
The ground is dewy and wet on my feet, but I don't care. My body is numb; the only thing I can feel is fear.
I am truly afraid. Afraid of the reaction, afraid of my father and his followers, afraid of what will happen if I get caught.
The Forbidden Forest towers above my head like a threatening older sibling. Sounds I don't want to repeat echo through the trees as I reach the planned spot.
Three.... my heart still pounding like a drum.
Two.... I think I'm gonna be sick.
One.... It's time.
Green smoke billows from my father's wand as the spell shoots into the sky. I stare, bewildered, as it turns into a skull and then as the skull spews a snake.
Then I get pulled back down to Earth as distant screams force me to remember my plan.
I conceal my father's wand and run.
I run and run and run until my lungs burn and breathing in the cold night air causes razor blades to run down my throat.
I run to the highest tower, right next to my bedroom and spot the neatly dug and hidden hole leading into the dungeons, just for me.
I push apart the brambles and then use my own wand to open the door, using a password only my father and I know.
Then I climb down into the abandoned broom closet right near my dorm and shut the hatch, pushing the brambles back as I do so.
As I cautiously open the broom closet, it gives me no surprise to see Malfoy, my aunt Narcissa, my mother and my uncle Lucius standing over me.
Narcissa smiles at me as my mother grins creepily and cups my face in her hands.
"Well done, darling. Very well done. Your father is immensely proud." Bellatrix laughs.
"Bellatrix, we must hurry. They will looking for Delphi any minute now." Lucius grumbles.
"Of course." Bellatrix snaps, and then grabs my hand.
After giving me a proud grin, my mother disappears along with the room, taking me with her.
We arrive in my bedroom at Malfoy Manor and the world spins. It's only my mother and I, and I'm glad of it as she pulls my robes off me and places me in a tight black dress which is familiar to all of the dresses I see Death Eater's wives wearing.
It is much more expensive material than my mother's, and I stare at her with my mouth agape as she drapes a coat with a standing collar and jewels over my shoulders and a silver necklace with a purple pendant.
"You look so grown up, Delphini." my mother smiles, rubbing her hands together.
Then she takes my hand yet again and pulls metro the top of the grand staircase where below are all of the people who have ever worshipped or served my father, and the entire room is full.
My father stands proud in the middle, his chest puffed out and his red eyes peering at me.
"And here we have Delphini, here to redeem us all!" Voldemort smiles, clapping loudly.
Everyone soon follows suit and the house shakes with the noise of these adults clapping.
I smile happily and decide I will do whatever they want me to do.
Because I never knew it would feel so good to be bad.

THE NEXT DAY
All through the night we partied, and I don't know how many times I was hugged or patted on the back.
It doesn't take long for it to make headlines, and the news screams terror as it asks for millions of galleons for anyone with the whereabouts of the Death Eater's are.
I then turn the page and my heart skips a beat and my stomach spins as I see Dumbledore pleading the public for my whereabouts. He is begging with Professor McGonagall and Snape by his side, and I can see in his face he means it.
The paper is then snatched from my hand, and I rub away tears I hadn't even realised had started falling.
Arms wrap awkwardly around me and I look up to see Malfoy with his eyes bleak.
"It's okay Delphi. I know you miss them. I know you miss Hogwarts, but believe me. The things we do here, you'll forget about that place before you even know it." he comforts.
"Really?" I demand.
"I promise." Malfoy smiles.
I get up to go change into some more appropriate clothing, and don't hear Malfoy as he whispers under his breath;
"God help that that spark stays alive inside of her."