RIDDLES PROPERTY

chapter 47

Emelia stormed out of his room and started getting her stuff together.

"I'm not lying."

"I need proof, concrete evidence. I need it otherwise you're just a fucking liar."

Tom bit the inside of his mouth. He was heated, but didn't want to see her get hurt.

"But if she gets hurt she'll come to me...' he thought.

"I'll show you, but you mustn't act rashly."

"Me? You hexed Pucey off of his broomstick and he nearly died!"

"And you obliviated his memory. You remember that?"

"Why the hell would I forget? It was the last year I went to school before Ophelia, I remember everything!", she cried out loud.

"We're going to his little shop and I'll show you."

Emelia hesitated. Did she really want to know the truth? All of a sudden, there was a burst of light and there was someone standing in front of her.

Draco.

They stared at each other before Tom interrupted the intense gaze between them.

"Did you carry out the order?" Tom asked.

Draco looked at Tom. His face was filled with distaste.

"I'm still having trouble, my lord."

Emelia was confused. Draco never really liked Tom. Why would he be here? His eyes were sunken and his hair was turning wavy. He seemed to be under major stress.

"Draco..."

He nodded curtly at her and looked down at his feet.

"If you aren't to finish soon then I wouldn't have a problem with you meeting my good friend, Fenrir, again."

Draco bit the inside of his mouth and then disapparated, leaving Emelia with Tom.

"Fenrir?"

Tom raised an eyebrow.

"It's none of your concern."

"You can't do this to Draco. I won't allow it."

Tom grumbled something underneath his breath and walked out of the shop, but draped an invisibility cloak before leaving. Emelia followed him.

"You can't just leave, Tom!"

She felt someone hold her hand, but there was nothing there. It was Tom in the cloak. He lead her inside Fred and George's joke shop. As the door swung open Tom lifted her jaw up to see where Fred was.

Her heart broke.

The man who married her and took care of her child was with Olive—her old friend. But they weren't talking like friends would. He was staring into her eyes and she was cozying up with him.

"Do you believe me now?"

"Wait."

"Don't do anything you'll regret."

She walked up the stairs and Fred looked over. His face was full of shock and Olive quickly disapparated.

"You're fucking kidding me," she yelled. "I was up late taking care of our child meanwhile you're here, flirting with your ex-girlfriend. I truly can't believe it. And this whole time you've acted as if I'M the whore? Unbelievable."

"To be fair, she isn't exactly my chi-"

He was cut off with a slap from Emelia. She took out her wand.

"Levicorpus."

Fred was dangling from his feet, but no one in the shop saw. It was empty and he was yelling for help.

"You're fucking insane, Emelia! Bloody hell, LET ME DOWN!"

She kept him dangling for a little more as the warm tears went down her cheeks. Finally, she put him down and he tried to recollect his thoughts.

"We both bloody knew we weren't supposed to end up together. I was doing great until you had Ophelia, but she isn't the problem. Your little affairs with...he who must not be named TAINTED our marriage."

"He went to Azkaban, for God's sake!"

"And the day he escaped where were you? I'm not fucking stupid, Emelia! I know you went to see him and only Merlin knows what you did. I can tell that whenever his name came up ANYWHERE you'd long for him. Not me."

Emelia took a deep breath and snuffled.

"I can't do this anymore, Fred. We barely trust each other a-and you work here most of the time. There's so much."

Fred realized what he'd done.

"No, no, Emelia. I didn't mean to, cmon. We've got to work this out. You know...we've got to stay for Ophelia. Do you want her growing up in an orphanage or with a single mother?"

He tried to get her to come back, but she was already on her way out. Tears kept flowing and Fred was panicking. He'd ruined their marriage.

Tom embraced her with one arm and led her back to Borgin and Burke's. Whenever witches and wizards tried to approach her and "comfort" her, Tom would hex them.

"It's always me getting hurt, Tom. Why is it always me?"

"I don't know."

When they walked in, Emelia noticed that her child's trolly was gone.