[2] after darkness → tom riddle

Chapter Seventeen: I Know Who You Are, Tom Riddle

Michael whistled as he walked through the door chucking his keys into the bowl and placing his coat and bag on the coat rack. He took his shoes off and headed up the stairs to dismiss the nanny that he and his wife hire to look after their two children.

When he walked into the nursery he found the room to be empty. He shrugged it off thinking maybe Morgandy had come home early and taken the children over to Ophelia's or Dove's. Before he headed over to either one of the girls' he decided to have a bit of Michael time.

Michael headed into the kitchen and put the kettle on, he continued to whistle whilst he prepared his tea ready for the water to be added. The movement in his peripheral vision caused him to stop his high pitched tune.

Michael looked up and an unknown man stood in front of him holding his daughter. Michael groaned as his daughter smiled, "hiya, daddy."

"You know, she's a sweet girl," the unknown man laughed, "she's very similar to the original Starr."

"Look, mate," Michael groaned, "I have no time for any of this witchy bullshit."

"Clearly," he mocked, "you haven't even offered me a cup of coffee, how unwelcoming."

"You weren't even welcome in the first place," Michael retaliated, "you waltz into my house, pick up my children and think you deserve a cup of tea? I may be entirely useless against you but my best defence mechanism is sarcasm and having a good right hook."

"Entirely useless indeed," he mocked, "you're telling me you've got a good right hook when I have a wand? You're just as pathetic as Starr, it seems Morgandy has a taste."

"I wish I could say the same about Ophelia, but we can see why she left you," Michael spat, "yes, I know who you are, Tom Riddle, and you're an absolute twat if you didn't think my badass wife wasn't going to intervene."

Tom was confused by Michael's comment and began to laugh, "you incompetent fool."

"Stupefy!" Morgandy yelled from behind Tom.

Michael ran towards him and grabbed Starr from his arms before he reached the floor. He handed her over to Morgandy who held her tightly whilst she cried. Ophelia handed over Abner to Michael.

Michael bounced Abner on his hip, and Ophelia squeezed his little cheeks together. "You better be proud of him," Ophelia laughed as she looked up to Michael, "little Abner bit Tom, didn't you bud? You're a good'un."

Michael kissed his son on his head as Ophelia walked away towards Tom. Tom stirred as he awoke from his unconscious state. Before he could grab his wand Ophelia kicked it away and picked Tom up by the ear.

She dragged him over to Michael and Morgandy who were still holding their children. Ophelia nodded her head and Michael handed his son over to Theodore.

"He's already had one broken nose off me," Ophelia laughed, "see if you can give him another."

Michael imitated Ophelia's sly smile as he swung back his arm and launched it full force to Tom's face. Just before Michael's fist met Tom's nose, Ophelia let go of Tom's ear and Tom stumbled back gripping onto the counter for support.

Starr clapped her hands and cheered on her father as she watched Tom wobble as he desperately tried to stand up properly on his own two feet.

Tom regained his balance and wiped the blood away from his nose as he watched Ophelia's smirk grow bigger on her face.

"You've always been a cocky shit," Ophelia laughed, "you seem to forget you need a good punch every now and again."

"I guess I should have learned from the first two times that you punched me," Tom announced, "I'll be back, and you know it." Before anyone could argue back, Tom disapparated out of the kitchen, leaving the group of friends on their own.

"What did he even want?" Michael asked.

"That's not important right now, Mikey," Morgandy spoke softly.

Archer stepped into the kitchen, his back was straight and his face was angered, "what the fuck did he mean by the first two times that you punched him?"

Ophelia stepped back each time Archer stepped closer, "I'll explain everything if you back off."

Archer stopped and stepped aside, he pointed over to the doorway which lead into the dining room, "conservatory."

Morgandy and Theodore looked at one another with worried faces as they followed Ophelia and Archer into the conservatory. Franko walked past them both and headed over to the doors that led out into the back garden.

"Starr, I want you to play nice with your brother please, is that okay?" Morgandy asked her daughter as she put her down.

Starr nodded her head as she held onto Abner's hand and walked out the door. Morgandy smiled as she closed the door whilst she watched her children walk over to the small climbing frame Michael had built for them both.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Oliphant," Archer stipulated.

"On one condition," Ophelia agreed, "you don't tell Emory, allow me to in my own time."