Masquerade (Discontinued)

Chapter XXII

Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain

Wednesday the 30th of June 1999

1:30 AM

Sirius looked from Draco to Hermione to Luna to Maya and then his eyes skipped over to Tom. The man stared into the fire, lost in thought. He didn't even seem to care about the implications of what had happened that very night. Sirius sneered.

"What was that magic? What have you taught her?" Sirius barked, angrily.

"I didn't teach her how to do that. I don't even know how to enact binding curses. It's a blood trait," Tom said, quietly. He rubbed his arms, and shook his head. "She was enraged. I brought her to the battle, but I didn't think that she'd curse him."

"Do you feel bad for Dumbledore?" Draco sneered and Tom cut his eyes towards Draco and sneered.

"No," he snapped. Tom's gaze softened. "Her words were very specific, and I…I fear what his heart's blood is. It won't be…she doesn't realize what she's done."

Hermione shrugged, falling back into the chair her mother sat on and curled up into her side, taking a sip of her wine. "Gods, this is stressful…I need a cigarette. Anyway, who cares? Dumbledore will be out of the way."

"No, he won't," Luna murmured.

Tom hummed. "He doesn't care most for himself. He…she implied he was selfish, but he's not…not really. He's not as self-involved as he pretends to be. Albus is complicated. He cared most for his—fuck."

Tom stiffened and glanced at Luna and only she saw the brief glimpse of panic in his eyes. There was a question on his face and Luna tilted her head.

"Yes," Luna said simply.

"FUCK!" Tom hissed.

"What is it?" Draco asked. "Is Bella in danger?"

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "No," he finally snarled. "It's a problem that I will have to clean up. Keep yourselves uninvolved. I'll take care of this."

Hermione snapped, "Fuck no! Bella's our sister!"

"No, we have a right to—" Draco began.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO HER."

The room fell silent and Tom was breathing hard, his nostrils flared. He could feel his magic stirring and he knew that his eyes burned red from the look in Maya's eyes. He had scared Bella's mother, a woman that he was quite friendly with and was nearly always in his corner, giving him the benefit of the doubt in a family that had no more chances for him. Tom swallowed hard.

"I apologize," he murmured to her, never tearing his eyes from her blue orbs.

Maya slowly nodded and she reached out a hand, squeezing his wrist tightly and pulling his hand from his face where his nails had been digging harshly into the bridge of his nose. Tom gently pulled away from her, tucking his back against the wall and he glanced at Luna. Luna looked unsurprised by his outburst.

"You can't save her," Luna murmured.

Tom's head fell back and he didn't care that they were watching him come undone. He didn't care that they were witnessing one of his human moments.