Burning Obsessions; Tom Riddle

41: A Change in the Wind

[victoria's pov]

There were only two things keeping me from leaving Borgin and Burkes. The mystery of why Theodore became a death eater. And the way that I was obsessed with Tom.

Besides, Borgin and Burke paid well. They were kind to Tom and I and were flexible. Such as now.

"Did you and Tom not say you're going to a wedding today?" Burke asks me. I nod. I honestly wasn't sure what Tom's agenda was, as he had only mentioned that we were to show up.

"Also," Burke adds, pulling out a stack of letters. "You've got a post from some muggle named Guinevere?"

"Gwendelyn," I said, rushing over. She had told me before she had important news.

Dearest Victoria,

I don't mean to trouble you but now that I'm thinking about it, I would like to know if I were in your shoes. I've come down with an illness. The doctor says it's a tumour. They don't know which one yet, but I've been feeling quite frail.

I'll let you know of any news.

Much love from Gwen.

Even her handwriting had changed. It used to be very sophisticated and neatly written, but now it was rushed and short. It would do her no good and it concerned me considering she was only thirty-five years of age.

"What is it?" Burke asks. "A sister? Godmother?"

"A friend," I say quietly. "I should go see her sometime..."

Footsteps from behind catch my attention and it's Tom. Since he brought me back from the Seven Swans tavern, he'd been quiet and ignoring my presence. He did not know who Enzo was, as far as I knew. I did not think he cared much about the man either, he was perhaps wanting to move on.

He now slept on the couch and didn't go out often anymore as I mentioned. Some part of me told me he was upset. But I couldn't tell if he was hurt or not, as he had a better poker face than I.

Yet I found it hard to find sympathy.

All I could feel was frustration at his silence.

And sometimes, I longed for him.

I wondered, had he really changed?

"We're to be at the ceremony early," Tom says. "We leave in an hour."

"The ceremony starts in three hours," I say suspiciously. "We're merely guests, what need do we have to be there early?"

"To mingle of course," Tom says as if it's the most obvious answer.

An hour goes by quickly as I rush to get ready. My dress was emerald and hugged my upper chest tightly before it reached my hips and flowed down like water. The straps were an off shoulder and the breast area had beautiful silver gems sewed on the trim. The end of the dress reached a little past my ankles as I wore simple heels. My dark hair was simply up, as my "love marks" had disappeared.

My favourite piece was the spine. It was a silver plated snake that crawled up my back, attached to the rest of the dress with thin chains of silver.

Burke had told me it was a "missing piece" from some widow back in the days and babbled on until Tom finally shut him up.

It was formal and appropriate, yet eye appealing. I looked at myself in the mirror, admiring myself, seeing that I was not the only one.

I turned around and caught Tom watching me from the doorway. He's wearing a black suit with a green tie equivalent to his eyes.