Not About Angels (A Tom Riddle Story)

Chapter 94

Abigail wanted to get out of bed. 

She knew that he was there, just outside, not wanting to come in...

Gabriel was on the other side, wanting to talk to her, but not letting himself step into the room. 

Every night, he came to change the flowers in her room, thinking that she was asleep. She might not be able to see those flowers, but he knew that she loved their beautiful scent.  

"I know you're there." She called. "Gabe...I know..."

He stood by the door, the dilemma rising in his mind. 

"Gabe...."

He stepped into the room and sat by her bed.

"The doctors say I'm going to be due in two months....I'm so excited." She said. 

"That's great. Congrats."

"How's Hogwarts?" She asked. 

"I-I don't know. I haven't really been there too much."

"What about the team then? it's Quidditch season. Don't we need our captain?"

"I quit the team." He said quietly. 

"Oh..." She said. "Can I ask why?"

"I-I don't know. I guess I just don't really care about it anymore." He said, chuckling a little to cover up the pain in his voice. 

"Really? Surely you don't mean that...what about your future aspirations? I know you always wanted to go pro."

He laughs again. "Yea. No chance now. I've hung up my broom for good. I'm done."

She couldn't help but feel guilt creep upon her. If she hadn't ruined everything...he would never be like this. 

She knew deep down, that everything he did, even though he would never admit it, he did for her... 

Gabriel deserved so, so much more than she could ever give him. 

"Anyways...I just wanted to check in. I need to go before Grandfather calls me back. Hope you have a good night." He says, getting up to leave.

"Stay." She calls, to his surprise. "Please...just stay and talk to me, Gabe. Like old times."

"What is there to talk about, anyway? We don't have that much in common, really," he says, hands in his pockets. 

"I want to thank you, Gabe. For everything, you've done." 

"You don't have to." he says, trying to keep any emotion out of his voice. 

"But I need to. I want to make things right, Gabe...even though I know never could."

He stays silent for a moment. "You never can, Abi. We've come too far, haven't we? It's not your fault, anyhow. I'm the stupid one. Now, I'm paying the price for my stupidity."

"You're not the stupid one, Gabe. Don't you ever say that...I am." She says, feeling her heart sink deeper and deeper into her chest. 

You're the best thing that ever happened to me...yet I'm too foolish to take it. 

He looks at her, and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret.

He told himself that he didn't give a fuck anymore and that he didn't feel it anymore.

"I need to leave." He said, turning on his heels and heading for the door again. 

"Go live your life, Gabe. You have so, so much ahead of you. Go out there, and live your life." She called after him. 

He paused for a moment. Live his life? He was not the same anymore. He looks at himself, at his family, and sees little remain from the false glory of his previous life. 

He went back to Hogwarts, to be greeted by a displeased Cassie, who already stood in his dorm. 

"You realized, didn't you?" She asked flatly. She referred to the love potion she had been giving him. "You've been avoiding me..."

He looks at her, wanting to say something cruel, but could only pity her. 

"Stop playing games, Cassie. Honestly. What do you want from me?" 

She laughs. "Games? Not playing games, Gabe. Only serious business here. And you know what I want from you, Gabe."

"I'm not going to report you for what you did, Cassie, because I want to make up for what happened last year. And you know...If I reported you to my grandfather, he's gonna have a cell in Azkaban waiting for you. We're even now. I don't owe you anything anymore. " He said, his voice cutting into her.  

 "Gabriel...you can never, never make up for what you did to me." She could only think of the white hospital room, the blood between her legs, his coldness to her, and how immediately after, he ran into Abigail's arms... 

"You're disgusting, and I want nothing to do with you from now on. What's past is past, Cassie. You need to let go." 

"Oh? I disgust you?" She cries, coming forward so she was closer to him. He backs away a little. "What about her? She's not so pretty herself anymore, is she?" She whispers, a taunting smile on her face. 

"What the fuck are you talking about?" 

"I was there, you know...I watched her squirm. I carved pretty pictures on your precious little Abigail...How do you feel now?"

He was livid. 

"I knew that you didn't care about yourself anymore, because you fucking hate yourself...but you love her..don't you? It hurts to her like this, doesn't it?"  

He came close to her, and grabbed her by her neck. 

She didn't struggle. She didn't scream. She only looked at him dead in the eyes, taunting him. He tightened his hands around her neck. 

Her face was beginning to turn blue, her eyes bulging out.    

He dropped her. As she dropped to the ground, she gasped for air, hitting the floor hard. 

She felt a shoot of pain through her elbow as she landed. She looks up at him, hatred in her eyes. 

He slowly backs out of the room, afraid of what he was about to do...

As she sat there, alone, tears welled out of her eyes. She hugged her knees to her elbows and sobbed. 

To her, he was always the coldest. 

To her, he was always cruel. 

He would've killed her. She knew that he wanted to, and even though it didn't surprise her anymore, given what she was done, it still hurt her. 

Some part of her, in giving him the love potion, hoped that one day he really would love her. 

No. Not even love. As long as he cared a little for her, as long as she had a little piece of his heart, she would be satisfied.  

She felt as if he and Abigail pushed her here. 

As she sat there on the floor, her neck hurting, she turned completely cold. She didn't love him anymore, and her love for him turned into icy hatred. 

She wanted him to hurt, the way she was hurting now. No. Worse. She wanted to take away everything in his life that made it worth living...she wanted him to turn into what she was now...

There was only one way...