[2] after darkness → tom riddle

Chapter Fifteen: Go With the Gut

Orion apparated outside of the manor gates. He looked ahead of him and saw the living room's lights on. He could faintly see the silhouettes of his friends and family through the closed curtains.

Focusing on the window, Orion began biting on his finger nail as he contemplated on what he should do next. He was in a predicament. Again. It was the same predicament he was in almost seventeen years ago. Choosing between his head, his heart, and his gut.

His gut told him to storm into the manor and tell Tom everything that just went on at the Oliphant's household, but his head was telling him to go inside as if nothing had ever happened. Finally, his heart was telling him to return to Ophelia and Emory, surrendering everything over to them, regaining his friends' trust.

But he knew he had to go with his head, for the sake of his wife and children. And so, Orion waved his hand and the manor gate began to open.

Orion walked down the long pathway as he looked up and admired the tall hedges that surrounded the pathway and guided visitors to the front of the house. Orion stopped in his tracks when he felt a pair of eyes on him. From the second floor window he saw Tom watching him, a glass of whiskey in hand and an emotionless expression on his face.

He didn't know how long Tom had been watching him but he hoped to god that he wasn't watching when he was making a decision. Orion nodded his head towards Tom and began walking again towards the manor house. Orion's eyes were still on Tom as he himself watched from the window, from the blank expression Tom had across his face, Orion knew he had to see him at once.

When he reached the front door, he once again waved his arm and the door opened by itself. Walking through the door he was greeted by his wife and young son, it was obvious Walburga had been waiting for his return ever since he left. As soon as she saw him she knew something was wrong. And she dared not to ask, despite Walburga's siding with Tom and his death eaters, she knew that Orion had longed to return to his old friends, and she would follow him wherever he went, because she did truly love him, despite their opposing feelings.

Orion took little Sirius from Walburga's arms as he reached her. He pecked his wife on the lips and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm off to see Tom," Orion spoke softly, he could feel someone lurking in the shadows but wasn't quite too sure who it was, he widened his eyes to gesture to his wife of the lurking shadow, "we'll be back down in five or so minutes."

"Are you taking little Sirius to see his uncle Tom?" Walburga asked in a high pitched voice as she played with Sirius' chubby baby cheeks.

"Yes, of course," Orion smiled to his wife, "I'll see you in a bit, go relax, and lay off the wine, yeah?"

Walburga laughed as she headed towards the living room. Once the door was closed, Orion turned around. "You can come out now," Orion hissed as he looked around.

Silence.

Orion continued to scan the room, it wasn't until he saw a movement to his right that he was fixated on Alatar's boot as he revealed himself from the shadows.

Alatar held up his hands. Orion looked at his face as he tried to figure out his facial expression, it was almost a sympathetic and caring face, but Orion brushed it off. "How's your sister?" Alatar asked.

Orion frowned as he remembered trying to find his sister's face among his old friends, he saw Ignatius but his sister Lucretia wasn't there. "I didn't see her," Orion's voice cracked, "I wish she was, Ignatius was, but she wasn't."

Alatar looked down, he knew how desperate Orion was to see his sister, "and my brother, was he there?"

It wasn't until Alatar asked about Harlen that Orion knew, deep down, Alatar still cared for his brother. Despite their differences and Harlen's hatred towards Alatar, Alatar would always care. After all, Harlen was his little brother.