[2] after darkness → tom riddle

Chapter Nineteen: A Blood Pact

For ages, Abraxas knew something was off about Tom and Ophelia. But he wasn't able to pinpoint it until now. Through the thunder and lightening of the summer storm, he was unable to sleep whilst his wife slept peacefully beside him. As he tried to focus on anything that could help him sleep, Ophelia Oliphant kept on appearing in his head.

Abraxas recalled the many times Tom said he wasn't worried about Ophelia, Tom knew that Ophelia would never put a stop to his reign. And he wanted to know why Tom was so confident about it. Until it hit him, five minutes ago.

Abraxas jumped out of bed and headed towards his bedroom door, grabbing his dressing gown on the way out. As he walked down the east wing, he put on his dressing robe and headed towards Tom's quarters.

Stopping outside of Tom's door, he thought about it for a second. Should he really just storm in and confront Tom about it? Was it really worth it? As he questioned what he should do next he saw the light shine through the gap at the bottom of the closed door, and that's when he knew he should question him.

Without knocking, Abraxas stormed in and slammed the door shut behind him. Tom watched his every move from his desk, anticipating Abraxas' arrival, every since he knew he was outside.

How brave of Abraxas to storm into his room without knocking. Tom liked that about Abraxas, he was no longer a coward, he didn't hesitate around Tom, he argued back, he questioned and he retaliated.

"I knew something was off, for the longest of time," Abraxas raised his voice.

Tom watched him, trying to understand why Abraxas was so worried about the situation. He didn't say anything, he maintained a blank expression.

"This is the stupidest thing you've ever done, Tom! And that's saying something if you consider everything we have ever done," Abraxas pinched the bridge of his nose as he continued to pace in front of Tom's desk.

It was obvious how angry Abraxas was, the usually translucent coloured boy had colour in his cheeks, they were bright and rosy. A rare sight for someone so pale.

"And what is this alleged stupid thing that I have done?" Tom asked, surprisingly he wasn't aware of what he had done, it was a genuine surprise that Abraxas had turned up at his chamber at half past two in the morning, raising his voice at him as if he was the one in charge.

Abraxas stopped dead in his tracks, turned and faced Tom, his arms stretched out - leaning on Tom's desk. "All this time, I was so worried that you had lost it, I knew - or at least I thought I knew that Ophelia would always come for us again. I questioned it every time you said she wasn't going to come for us, I questioned why you were so confident, and I've finally realised why."

Tom stood from his chair, he knew that Abraxas knew. Tom kept eye contact with Abraxas as he walked around his desk, stopping in front of Abraxas. They were so close, but Abraxas stood his ground and stayed where he was.

"Say it," Tom said lowly.

Abraxas hesitated, not wanting his theory to be true. Tom raised his arm and slapped him across his face, "say it, you coward." Tom yelled as he watched Abraxas fall to the floor.

"You made a blood pact with Ophelia Lockwood," Abraxas said as he picked himself up off the floor, holding his cheek to calm the burning feeling that was running through it as they spoke.

A devilish smile formed on Tom's face, it felt so good to hear it out loud, especially as someone finally knew. He turned around and walked back to his seat, sitting in it as he gestured for Abraxas to sit in the seat in front of him.

"How long have you known?" Tom asked him.

"Properly, just now after you confirmed it. When I started to realise that maybe it was a possible answer, about ten minutes ago. But when it became a possibility? Four years ago." Abraxas shook his head.

Tom took in his answers, assessing each one of them. Abraxas has known for four years, and it has only now sprung to mind that it was in fact true.

"I don't understand how you could have been so stupid?" Abraxas sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to understand, but simply couldn't.

"You know everything about my family life, Malfoy," Tom started, "you know I will never be able to feel love in my life, but when I was a teenager, and I was in a relationship with Ophelia, I felt what it's like to be loved by someone. Ophelia genuinely loved me, and receiving that kind of affection from her made me feel weird as if I did love her in return."

Abraxas didn't say anything, he waited for Tom to continue.

"I care for Ophelia, always have done and always will do. I still care for her now, even if she doesn't feel the same for me. In all honesty, some part of me wishes that I was never conceived under a love potion, because then I would have been able to love her back, all I wanted when I was younger was to love her back," Tom admitted, he didn't have any emotion written on his face but Abraxas knew that deep down Tom was remorseful about his feelings, "I always thought it was easy to not have any happy feelings, feeling hatred and nothing should have felt right, it did feel right. All the way until Ophelia joined my life properly. It started off a spite tactic against Emory, and then I realised I was actually falling for her."

"Then explain to me, why after everything? Are we still doing what we're doing? If you care for her so much, why are you doing everything that will make her hate you?" Abraxas asked.

"Because Ophelia hating me is what's best for me," Tom stated.

"How so?" Abraxas questioned as he tried to understand Tom's logic.

"I have a purpose. As the heir of Slytherin, I must carry out that purpose, but after Dumbledore grew suspicious and they threatened to close Hogwarts, I had to keep it on the low down, Ophelia was the best low down possible, and then feelings grew, and I lost my way a bit," Tom spoke softly, "so I deliberately hurt her, I killed her friends, I made her believe that all of my feelings towards her were never real. I did it so I could lose her, so I wouldn't stray away."

"And it worked," Abraxas acknowledged. Tom nodded his head. Abraxas opened his mouth, "some part of me thinks that you regret hurting her, that you do have genuine feelings towards her."

"I do," Tom agreed, "I do regret everything, but I know what I did was right, I know everything that I've done is right."

Abraxas left it at that, that's all he needed to hear Tom say. He stood up from the seat and turned towards the door. But before he left he turned around and looked at Tom one last time, "I won't tell anyone."

"I never doubted for a second that you would've," Tom stated.

Abraxas nodded his head, "goodnight." he said as he walked out of Tom's chambers. Heading back to his own with his mind racing.