Poison Ivy | T. Riddle ✔

[35] Unhealthy Obsession

Aquila was at a loss of what to do. Her cousin Demelza was in tears before her and she had no idea how to console her. After Nathan Whitburg had left the Burke's residence, Demelza had been painstakingly silent which had caused her parents to get rather anxious.

Ultimately Belvina had to call Aquila over, hoping that she would be able to tackle the situation. She had left the cousins alone, taking Eridanus and Lucius with her to the garden so that they wouldn't get worried.

Demi had broken down in front of her because she knew she was probably the only person who could understand the dilemma she was going through.

"And to think that I once loved him... I... I feel so disgusted with myself," she lamented, "I kept feeding the snake who was preying on my own loved ones."

"Demelza, please, calm down and tell me what happened," she engulfed her in a comforting hug, holding her close in order to soothe her.

"I've been so dreadfully stupid. I'm the reason my whole family is in shambles."

She had buried her head in her hands, weeping uncontrollably.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Aquila spoke in a soft voice though the concern was visible in her eyes, "please stop crying and let me know what's wrong with you."

"I've been wrong, yes, I've been so dreadfully wrong for the past many years. Aquila you kept assuring me that I would one day find out about Perseus, that I would one day come to know what happened to him. And... And I did. Today. But the truth is so bitter that I would rather have died than face it."

She kept silent encouraging her to resume, knowing that she needed a patient listener at the moment instead of a judgmental one.

"Perseus has been imprisoned for all these years. Tortured, both physically and mentally. He hasn't been travelling in Albania, he hadn't run away from us either. He... He never wanted us to come to any harm due to him and yet... And yet... We kept blaming him, Aquila, even though it wasn't his fault!"

"How do you know?" she asked, a bit confused.

Demelza looked up at her with wide tear-filled eyes, "a person came today who was imprisoned along with Perce. He had managed to escape and had come finding us because Perce wanted him to tell us the truth. The truth which harrows up my very existence."

"But Demi, what does it have to do with you? I know Perseus means a lot to you but why were you mentioning a snake? Why are you blaming yourself?"

She shook her head, distress clouding her features,"because the person who is responsible for every bad thing that has happened to us is none other than Tom Riddle."

Hate and anger laced her voice like venom as she spoke his name. Her eyes flashed in rage such that even Aquila felt somewhat terrified of the anger boiling up inside her.

"Riddle took Perce away from us, he murdered Renata, he kept torturing Perseus for so long and yet I kept loving him as if he was the most worthy person in the world for my affection. Unaware that he had been destroying us all one by one. Of course, I am to blame just as much as anyone else. Perce warned me, he made me promise not to trust that monster but I paid his words no heed... I let the demon into our home myself, Aquila. They say when the demons are near, lock your doors and hide your loved ones. And I... I mistook him for a gentleman and invited him in hoping he would stay with us. I... I hate myself. But more so... I hate him."

She realized that the Dark Lord's true form had been revealed her to naive innocent cousin and it had been a severe blow to her finding out about the lengths Riddle could go to fulfill his motives.