Unravelled² → Tom Riddle [Rewritten]

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Evelyn's mouth fell open, her hand clutching her stomach.

"I need to step out," Remus left the room, Sirius following close behind him.

"Now what?" What would they do with her? Her child? Was she even safe anymore?, "what happens with me?"

Alastor looked at Albus, speaking first, "I think we use it. I think it should serve as enough motivation for you to speak."

"Alastor-" Albus stopped him, "we are not monsters."

"Need I remind you this is a war? Need I remind you of Marlene McKinnon, Edgar Bones, Benky Fenwick, the Bones family? All of them gave their lives for the war, I think anything is fair in a war."

"Not quite anything." Albus paused, "I think- I think we ought to confirm our suspicions. Bring a Healer when you next visit St Mungos. If we are to do thhis correctly, it ought to be healthy before we do anything."

"Not a motivation if it isn't real."

Remus re-entered the room, "I think we let it grow. I think," he looked at Evelyn's whimpering face, "I think the girl will tell us all we need to know, in exchange for the childs' safety."

"Albus," Sirius entered behind Remus, "you can arrange that?"

"You would keep it safe?" Evelyn felt her beady eyes brim with tears, she wanted to see her baby, she didn't want it to die. "You promise?"

Albus paused before he spoke, "I would, in exchange for information."

She didn't need to think, "I'll do it once I know this isn't  some plan to break me. Show me the child, show me the proof, and I will share what I know."

"Alastor, I think you ought to find us a Healer then."

And so he did. But when he finally returned with a Healer months later, it was barely needed. Evelyn's belly was rotund, pale and purple. She was certainly pregnant.

"Albus, do give us some privacy," the Healer squeaked in a petite voice.

He turned around, facing away from Evelyn, "I am afraid this is all I can give, Madame Truckle."

Evelyn gulped, so much for not being a prisoner. Ever since that day, her every move had been watched.  Members of the Order took turns watching her, watching her eat, watching her sleep, watching her simply be. She was on some kind of watch, unable to be left alone at any point.

"I have with me some of the newer muggle technology, I do apologise if it takes a tad longer than usual," she smiled at Evelyn, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small, thick wand. "This is a fetal stethoscope, it will help us check babies heartbeat, may I?" She gestured for Evelyn to lift up her shirt.

Evelyn looked down at her belly, lifting her shirt awkwardly over it, "I haven't felt it move." She tried not to worry, but this baby was her safety net, it made sure she wasn't killed, they couldn't dispose of her if she held their so called weapon.

"Not to worry sweet," Madame Truckle, placed the cold stethoscope on Evelyns belly, sending shivers down her spine, "now if everyone could remain quiet." She closed her eyes, listening intently for a moment, then another, then another painstainkingly long second.

"Well?" Evelyn moved, pulling her shirt back down, "please tell me." She closed her eyes, taking a breath, "is it okay?"

"Sounds perfectly healthy dear," she turned to face Albus, "you can turn back now."

"Is that all?" Albus asked impatiently, turning to face them again.

"Yes," she said hurriedly, sensing his frustration, "I would like to return every few weeks, if that is alright?"

Evelyn nodded intensely, she needed this. "Please."

"That sounds ideal," he nodded at her, "please follow Sirius out of the castle, he's just outside."

Madame Truckle smiled at Evelyn, squeezing her hand lightly before making her way out of the room, leaving the pair alone.

"Now, you must uphold your end of the bargain Evelyn. We will keep the child safe, should you provide information." He sat awkwardly at the end of her bed, "is that still something you agree to?"

"Just to you," she said quietly, "just to you. Only you know him like I do, I will only tell you."

He nodded, "shall we begin?"

"Yes."

"What happened when you arrived at the Manor?" He titled his head at her, "where did he keep you? Where did you go?"

She took a breath before crafting her answer. "I was in a bedroom upstairs for the most part, it was a lot like this. It was small, it was cold, and it became my home. I stayed there for a long time. I also read a lot, like now," she gestured to the books sprawled messily across the floor. "Reglulus got me books, he had some kind of library, he had a house elf too. He got me new books most days," she searched for more information in her mind, "I read more books than I ever have before. I read Lord of the Flies, 1984 and The Great Gatsby. I read all sorts of muggle books. I did this for weeks on end."

"Could you leave? Did Tom visit you?"

"No." She answered both his questions with one word, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Albus questioned, "were you locked in? Did you ask to leave? Why did he want you there?"

"You ought to ask him that, I am not a mind reader."

"Why were you there? Why then? Why did he not take you before?"

"Again, you ought to ask him," she reached her arms out in a yawn, "may we continue this another day?" 

"Tomorrow." He said sharply, "as soon as you wake."

As soon as he left, Evelyn smiled. She had kept him occupied, she had answered his questions, and she knew her baby was safe. 

And so, for the next visits, Evelyn drip fed him information. She would include the truth, at least a skeleton of it, but she would embellish it, she would share more than he needed to hear. She would fill his head with useless information, she would tell him the title of every book she had read, the decorations in the Malfoy Manor, information on Death Eaters she knew were dead. She would overwhelm him every time he entered the room, leaving just enough of a crumb of real information, that he would come crawling back for more.