Extreme Remedies ( Tom Riddle Era )

Chapter 18

"Empty spaces fill me up with hopes
Distant faces with no place left to go
Without you within me I can't find no rest
Where I'm going is anybody's guess

I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete"

Incomplete, Backstreet Boys

~~~~~~~

Tom raised his eyes from the book her held on his lap. It was useless trying to distract himself with books. He had been reading the same lines many times but he didn't get the meaning of what he was reading.
He looked at the calendar, where he marked the days left to his return to Hogwarts.
Thirty days.
He wondered how he could survive all that time away from his beloved school.
His fingers flicked through the pages to pick a muggle postcard. The picture showed a breathtaking view of a harbor in a potentially colorful sunset. But the picture was black and white.
He turned the card to read the message.

Just a glance of this wonderful place.
The sun is setting now when it's about to rise there. I hope the sun can bring you all my love.
See you soon.
Yours, Evelyn

Tom sighed looking out of the window. It was raining. It had been raining for days. Just like his heart was raining.

A shy knock on the door distracted him.
"Come in" he said hiding the postcard back into his book.
The witch who opened the door and stepped in wasn't his mother as he expected.
Tom jumped up checking that he looked fine.
"Camille" he said gently "How can I help you?".
Camille Prewett was the only daughter of his masters. She just turned eleven and was about to start school in September.
She smiled broadly "Actually I wanted to help you. I made you some pastries. Your favourites".
Camille showed the tray she was carrying with a proud face.
Tom noticed how the little girl was growing pretty. She looked a lot like her mother, but she had the shining smile of her father. And she had long blonde hair. But they were far from the perfect shade of Evelyn's golden hair.
Tom sighed at the thought. And those pastries weren't his favourite. He had to pretend to please his masters. He wondered if he pretended too much.
"You're so kind. Thank you" he said using his charming smile, that made the girl giggled and approach him.
She sat next to him offering the tray "What are you reading?".
"Boring stuff" he showed the cover. It was a school text "You will have to deal with this too".
She giggled in expectation "I can't wait! You will help me, won't you, Tom?".
"I'll try".
She smiled, the color of her cheeks betraying her feelings. She picked one of the pastries and moved it close to his mouth.
Tom kept his mouth shut and took the pastry from her hand, careful not to touch her.
"I miss those times when you were reading muggle novels to me" she took a pastry for herself "Why do you avoid my room after dinner?".
"I want to focus on my studies" he said bitterly, reminding the sweet voice that said similar words and broke his heart.
"But you have the highest grades!" She scoffed "I've opened your letter. I'm sorry but I was too curious".
Tom kept a blank face but he hated when his masters scooped into his business. He was thankful that Evelyn was used to send her own owl who would go straight to the window of his room. But thinking of her was just another stab in his aching heart.
"You should relax now. And enjoy your holidays" she added hotly.
He noticed that she was moving closer to him. He could feel the heat of her body. She was wearing a very light dress, in a muggle style, slightly provocative.
His mouth turned dry as he swallowed his pastry. It was like swallowing sand, but he pretended he enjoyed it.
When did that little girl stopped being just an innocent girl? Now she looked like a princess, who was looking for a prince.
And Camille had grown up as a spoilt, rich girl, who was used to get whatever she wanted.
Tom hated being her new target. The idea of having her pestering him even at Hogwarts was unbearable.
"Tom? What do you say?" She asked grabbing insolently his arm to get his attention.
He shot her a confused look "Sorry?".
"I asked you if you would like if I ask dad to let us go to the beach together. Staying indoor is making you so pale...".
She raised her little hand to caress his face.
Tom wanted to retreat, but she was the mistress and he wasn't allowed to offend her. So he stood still, as a tamed pet.
"I'm not sure he would agree" he said patiently.
"Why not? He promised that he would do anything to make me happy in my last weeks here".
"Yeah but he would prefer that you join your cousins, not me".
"Why is it so? You are part of my family, so stop acting like you are not worthy of what I'm offering you" she said bluntly, grabbing his arm as if he was her toy "If you trust me, you can become officially part of my family".
"Don't grow up too fast, Camille. You don't know what you're talking about" he freed himself in the most gently way and stood up.
She stared at him with upset and hungry big blue eyes and stood up as well.
"I know that I like you, Tom. That I'm glad that we'll be together at school. If you'll be my boyfriend, I won't allow anyone to complain about it".
Tom felt his heart sinking. The girl he wanted had rejected him. And now another girl, that he never desired, was trying to replace her. How funny destiny was.
He could become the Heir of the Prewett manor, he would have turned from servant to master, he would have owned everything that he had lacked of in all those years...