Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[13] No Trace

Days turned into weeks and yet there was no sign of Tom Riddle. No one ever saw him in Knockturn Alley again; it was almost as if he had vanished from the face of the earth in the blink of an eye.

Perseus should have relaxed that he was gone for good and wasn't around to mess up with his thoughts and feelings, yet he simply couldn't rest. Hepzibah's murder seemed to have put him more on his guard.

Caractacus Burke would become easily irritated with him those days. He had grown accustomed to Riddle handling his customers and as he was gone, Burke had to visit the shop every now and then, just to make sure Perseus wasn't doing anything wrong.

Perseus knew his father didn't trust him as much as he had trusted the cunningly persuasive Tom Riddle. And the realization of it stung him at times, making him wonder what would his father have done if he came to know about the things Perseus was capable of but didn't ever show before.

With Riddle gone, the workload settled on his shoulders again. He had basically cut himself off from the rest of the world, working hard just for the sake of meeting his father's standards, being surrounded only by the shop's artifacts, books and the hawkish eyes of Mr Borgin.

Once, Demelza had persuaded him to take her and Renata back to that cottage in the woods, but even the tranquility of the place couldn't bring his mind to rest. Both women had noticed the change in his behavior and while Demelza was somewhat aware of the reason to his restlessness, Renata was confused yet concerned at the same time.

She would at times feel that Perseus was too burdened, that maybe he had a heavy load over his heart which had begun to show in forms of fatigue and impatience. She was worried for him. And that was quite natural since both of them had loved each other ever since they were playmates. Their union in marriage had been decided by their parents long before and it was meant to happen, no matter what came in between. 

But now Renata felt as if Perseus had changed, as if he wasn't the same person who shared each and every one of his problems with her. And although she didn't doubt his feelings for her, she felt a little left out. 

All she wanted to do was help him but it seemed as if he was deliberately pushing her away, shutting her out from his life quite intentionally.

What she didn't know was that he was doing it for her own safety.

***

The starless sky was dark as the clock struck the midnight hour. Knockturn Alley was engulfed in the night's silence, with every resident sleeping soundly in their beds, unaware of the evils that roamed the land in such unearthly hours.

Even at the Burke's household, not a soul was awake except for the family's cat prowling in the corridors, searching for a midnight snack.

Perseus woke up with a jolt, sitting up straight as if he had just envisioned a nightmare. He was drenched in sweat and his eyes were wide. He looked around for his wand which he was certain he had placed at the bedside table, but all his fingers met was the rough plywood and specks of dust.

The darkness in his room felt unnerving, the lantern which he kept lit throughout the night had burnt out as well and there was an unmistakable feeling in his heart that warned him of someone else's presence in the room besides him.

"Why are you awake at such ungodly hours, Perseus? You should go back to sleep," a soft but familiar voice reached him and he stiffened, recognizing the hushed tone of that voice without fail.

"T-Tom? What are you doing here?"

A low rumbling laughter escaped him and Perseus judged he was probably sitting right across from him at his writing desk. If only he could find his wand and light it up, he could be more sure of where he was.

"Nothing much. Just paying an old friend a much needed visit."

"At midnight? Are you insane?" His eyes were still frantically looking for where the wand had fallen, but he just couldn't seem to find it.

In a flash, he felt something pressed to his throat threateningly, "are you looking for this?"

He realized it was his wand and Tom was holding it in a much threatening stance against him. He didn't move and kept as still as he could, figuring out what to do next. 

But before he could do anything, Tom lit the lantern and gently placed his wand back at the bedside table, "ah, Perseus, I wasn't going to hurt you just yet. That was a harmless joke, don't take it to heart, will you?"

Just yet... The words struck him and he recoiled in unease.

The newspaper article came before Perseus's eyes once again, Hepzibah's lifeless photograph staring up at him as if pleading for justice. "You killed Hepzibah Smith."

Riddle threw his head back laughing but the sound wasn't enough to rouse anyone in the house, "is that all you have got to ask?"

"I am not asking, I'm stating the truth. I know you are her murderer and I know you used her to make a..." However he grew silent before naming the word and it seemed as if the later statement stole Riddle's amusement away.

"Complete the sentence," his voice was low but dangerously commanding.

"You used her to create a horcrux. That's why you felt different when you came back, that's why it felt as if a huge part of your soul was missing. Less human, like I once told you."

Tom widened his eyes as if clearly impressed by his deduction, "very well, Perseus. I must say you have struck right upon the mark. But what bugs me is that how do you know?"

The grey eyes were scrutinizing him intensely and like always, he felt great discomfort being under his unnerving stare, "there's no explanation for that."

"Well then, I confess. You're right," at last Riddle nodded, confirming his statement, "I impeccably staged a first class scandal; a false Memory Charm, an undetectable poison and just the right touch of theatricality to get her elf to plead guilty. I would say I have grown much experienced in framing other people for my sins by now, it has almost become a habit."

His voice was muted but firm, "you can't get away with everything."

The characteristic half smirk played upon his lips again, "ah really? But looks like I already have. I am Tom Marvolo Riddle, my dear ignorant friend, and I always get away with anything and everything I do."

Perseus didn't know what else he could say to him. He was well aware that there was no way he could stop Tom, there was no evidence he could procure to prove Riddle was the real murderer of Hepzibah Smith and with his polite and gentle nature, he was no match for a malicious serpent like Riddle.

And even though he knew far beyond what Riddle could dare to venture, still he had vowed never to use that knowledge for his own purposes and thus he could not make use of it at all.

He could not break his word.

"As much as I have been enjoying this conversation," Tom stood up as if he was about to leave, "I have a lot many things to take care of and I can't hinder all that I have to do."

"And you're just leaving?" Perseus asked as if unsure of what his true motives were, "after confessing that you committed a murder...?"

"Ah no, I'm not leaving without you," he replied then before Perseus could reach out for his wand, in one swift movement he cast the stunning spell on him non-verbally, "I can't take the risk of leaving you here after just making such a confession to you. Who knows, maybe you could use that against me? And I can't afford to let that happen."

Perseus felt darkness engulfing him soon as the jet of red light struck him and in next to no time, he was sprawled on his bed unconscious as the spell used on him was of quite a remarkable intensity.

Tom took out a letter from his pocket and placed it on his bedside table. Then opening his closet, he emptied it of all his belongings, putting them in a trunk along with Perseus's wand and locked it. He was making it seem as if Perseus was leaving his family by his own will.

Dragging him off the bed, he took hold of him from one hand and held the trunk in the other then without a sound, he disapparated leaving the room as if he hadn't even been there in the first place.

***