ꜱᴇʀᴘᴇɴᴛɪɴᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ | ᴛᴏᴍɪᴏɴᴇ

Whispers from the Past, ch. 38

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Harmony woke the next morning with her stomach in knots. The weather was unusually warm for the season and her sweaty palms made it difficult to tie up the back of her dress. She stood in front of a full-length mirror that was perched against one of the tent poles. The reflection showed her in a close-fitted dress—given to her by her handmaidens—and her face creased from the nerves.

Today was to be her first day of teaching followers and she'd spent all morning finishing her lesson plan until it felt right. She didn't want it to be too difficult, like how Voldemort taught her, but she also wanted to challenge them. Most importantly, she wanted to teach something useful, something every witch and wizard would need to survive.

Behind her, Voldemort was pulling on a fresh pair of trousers. His bare back glowed pale yellow as sunlight spilt in through a slit from the door flap. The waistband hugged his hips when he fastened the top button. He brought hands up and ran them through his black hair. Harmony sighed and he looked over at her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Fine," she muttered, struggling with the laces behind her back. "I'm just a little queasy. Probably had too much wine last night." A thought occurred to her and she spoke it out loud. "I think it would be best that I stopped drinking." She was coming along in her pregnancy—not enough to show yet, but any amount of alcohol couldn't be good for her.

"Why?" he asked idly as he sort through his shirts.

Harmony opened and closed her mouth. "Because it's bad for me."

He snorted at her lame remark. "Red wine is good for the heart."

She quickly added. "I would prefer to keep a clear head. I'd be no use to you or the Death Eaters if I was sloshed."

"So," he said slowly, "which is it? You are giving it up because you think it is bad for you or because you want a clear head?"

She hesitated, glancing at him over her shoulder in the mirror, and then replied, "Both." She failed to keep her voice from quivering slightly.

Voldemort was quiet a moment. He picked out a dress shirt and just held it. He stared down at the black fabric as she finished tying up her dress.

"You're nervous," he said.

"About teaching today? Yes. I am." She was relieved to jump at the change of subject.

"You've no reason to be. You're more than adequate to handle a simple teaching position."

"I suppose."

"And if anyone misbehaves, you know how to keep them in line."

"Hm?" She brushed her fingers through her hair; the ends straitened only to bounce back to their natural waves. "How?"

"Discipline, of course," he replied casually. "Cast a Cruciatus curse every now and then and they will figure out their place very quickly."

"Ah." She'd flinched at the mention of the Unforgivable curse. She flinched again when he suddenly appeared behind her before the mirror. He stood close enough for her to see the icy blue gleam in his eyes, but not enough to touch.

"You would do it, wouldn't you?" he asked with his voice low.

She swallowed hard before saying, "Yes, I think so, my Lord-"

"You know, you're not as good a liar as you think you are."

Harmony spun around to meet his eyes directly. He was staring down at her with a deep perceptiveness, as though he was looking not in her eyes but through her. Immediately, unwanted thoughts and assumptions invaded her mind.