Not About Angels (A Tom Riddle Story)

Chapter 54

She opened the bottle of potion and demanded him to drink it.

"It smells so bad." He remarked through the pain, refusing to drink it. 

"Drink." She demanded, pouring the bitter liquid down his throat. "This will make you stop bleeding." 

She began to clean out his wound with antibacterial potion, which was particularly painful. He flinched. She held his hand so he would move around less. He gripped it tight and clenched his teeth. 

"What are you doing to yourself?" She cried, peering at his pained face.  "Why are you like this?"

"Don't worry, love. I can handle everything." He said, stroking her cheek. She shook her head. 

"Don't worry? You could've died!"  

"But I didn't, did I?" 

She began to wash the blood off of his toned torso with a cloth. "Stop this, Tom. Stop this...whatever it is you're doing. It's not worth it." She begged him. 

He raised her hand to kiss it. "I could die right now. But I wouldn't want to be like the rest of them, living under pathetic disgrace."   

"Tom!-"

"Listen to me, Abi. I've already chosen my path, darling. There's no turning back now. I have a destiny to fulfill." 

"No..no. I-I don't know what you're really doing for Marvolo...but I know it's dangerous. But there's always turning back. We-we don't need any of this. Revenge means nothing, Tom...as long as we can be happy together." She cried. 

He let go of her hand. "Don't be so naive. Happy? How can I be happy? How can I be happy knowing that someone has taken my rightful place and that all I've suffered for means nothing! I will destroy them and rise to greatness, or die trying."  

She sobbed, shaking her head. 

"You're with me, Abi. You'll always be on my side." He said, drawing her closer. He saw the blood running down her leg and lifted her nightgown to reveal the fresh wound across her thigh.

"I'm fine." She said quickly. 

"Stupid. Why, why would you do this?" He asked, examining her wound. 

"Because you were bleeding. And I didn't know how to get the potions." She whispered through tears. 

He held her face in his hands and kissed it. 

She sighed softly under his lips. 

"I'm not in the right condition tonight-" He chuckles, then stops as it made his stomach bleed. "But I still want to take you right now, right here." He whispered, biting her ear. 

She blushed. "Stop it."

"If you say so." He said, now kissing her hand. 

"Tom." She giggled. 

.......................................................... 

Cassie felt nauseous again, early morning. She had been skipping meals left and right, dashing straight to the bathroom. 

"Go to the nurse." Penny suggested, handing her a tissue. "I think you're really sick." 

Cassie shook her head. "I-I'll be okay."  

"Wait-no. That would just be so cliche. It's not possible-?"Penny suggested. 

"Of-of course not. It was only once." Cassie said quickly. 

"Did you get your period on time?" 

"It's late...but it's not a big deal, right?" Cassie asked, the possibility now occurring to her. 

Penny sighed. "Wow. Probably not. But-"

"No. It's not possible." Cassie snapped. "No."  

"I suggest you find out. Just in case."  

"No. Not possible." Cassie muttered to herself.  

"Take a potion and find out." Penny said. Cassie shook her head no, but began to feel more and more unsettled.   

Throughout the day, Cassie felt uneasy. Penny's words rang in her head and made her nervous. 

After lunch, she decided to head to the Hogsmeade apothecary. She placed her hood over her face so people will not recognize her walking in and buying a pregnancy test. 

She pushed open the heavy wooden door and coughed at the horribly bitter stench coming from within the room. 

"Hello?" She called to the damp, dark room. 

"Dear. What might you need?" An elderly witch called, appearing behind the counter. 

"Um....a..pregancy test." She muttered, embarrassed. 

"Sorry dear. I can't hear very well. Say that again?" The witch asked. 

"P-pregancy test." Cassie said.  

"Oh. Of course dear. I will be just a moment." The witch said, and headed to the storage room in the back. 

The witch came back a minute later with a dusty box in her hands. She opened it on the counter. 

"Drink this blue potion. An hour after, check the palm of your hand. If you see a red dot there, that means you're indeed pregnant. If not, you're not. Got it?"

"Thanks." Cassie said. 

"Ten Galleons please." The witch asked.

"Ten? Thats a bit much for-"Cassie then sighed and just handed the witch her coins. 

She ducked into the public bathroom and drank the potion. It burned her throat horribly and smelled of rotten eggs. Resisting the urge to gag, she downed the bottle of blue liquid and chucked the bottle into the trash. As she walked out into the village, she saw the pair walking, hand in hand.

Gabriel bought her flowers. Not just any flowers, expensive, delicate ones. He wrapped his strong arms around Abigail's shoulder as she admired the flowers in her hand. 

Cassie heard their soft laughter and clenched her fists. She shook her head in disappointment and hurt. 

Didn't Abigail claim openly to not like him? Was it all just lies? 

She rushed back to the castle, her heart hanging by a thread. She watched her palm constantly, searching for the red dot. 

She ran back to the dorm, and sat down by her bed. The clocked ticked by slowly and painfully as the hour came to an end. 

She closed her eyes and steadied herself. 

She opened her palms and almost screamed out. 

Red dot.