Perfidy | Tom Riddle |

14.

"Riddle stop you'll kill her." Nott rushed over to Riddle who was still squeezing her neck even as she passed out. He waited a few more seconds before letting her go and passively watched as her body dropped. Stepping away from her Mulciber and Avery rushed down checking her pulse to detect if she was still alive.

"Escort her to her dormitories and make sure no one sees you." Tom forced his way past the group and disappeared.

"We have to take her to the infirmary." Nott's voice possessed a tone of panic to it.

"You heard him say we have to take her to her dormitories. How would we explain why she's like this with the marks around her neck?" Lestrange looked at Mulciber who seemed rather attentive to Lyra. "Why did you chase after them anyway? "

Mulciber stood up making his way in front of Lestrange "Because I know Riddle, after him piling up his anger for weeks to the jabs these two threw at each other I very damn well knew he was going to injure her if not kill her. I wasn't going to abandon her all alone here passed out on the cold floor, what if someone else had discovered her and done who knows what."

"She's a stranger and a dangerous one at that, just because she made you Nott and Avery fucking muffins doesn't mean she's your friend." The two were only inches apart both visibly angry. "Funny, especially since just a couple of months ago you were carving into a Hufflepuff's face and now you're acting like a saint."

Lyra began to groan her eyes barely opening and her body frail all she could do was hear the commotion going around her. Mulciber withdrew his attention away from Lestrange, where he Avery and Nott carried her back to the Slytherin girls dormitory. Since she was assigned a single room Nott had eagerly volunteered to stay with her until she woke up so she wouldn't be isolated. Tucking her into bed Nott ran a diagnosis charm over her to make sure there was no irreversible damage left behind.

Tom had settled into the room of requirements, where he spent most of his time here to disappear and gather his thoughts. He had lost control, for the first time ever he practically ruined the reputation he had worked so hard for. Tom looked at his hands, how deep her scratches were, how she resisted him to the last second. Annoyed he waved his wand over each hand instantly recovering them with no scars left behind.

Something about her just drove him mad and he barely even knew her. She caused him to push his limits, now he'll never be able to convince her to ally him in his cause. But he needed her. No. He needed her power, he needed to twist her will so she would achieve anything for him. Making an enemy out of Lyra could cause her to get in the way of the foreseeable future he has envisioned for the wizarding world. If it ever comes down to that he could merely slay her, she may be powerful magically which correctly was a challenge for him but physically he overpowered her as he proved himself 30 minutes ago.

Gradually opening her eyes, not recognizing where she was only that she was laying down carefully tucked into a bed. Looking around she spotted Nott leaning against a bed headboard reading some type of book next to her and tilted her head to greet his eyes.

"Before you freak out we're in your dormitory, I did sit in that chair over there but I suffer from a bad back so now I'm sitting comfortably on the bed. Don't think anything else was going on." he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I-" when trying to talk her voice cracked and a spread of considerable pain instantly surrounded her neck. Sitting up and gently leaning against the headboard as well she bought her hand up to her neck feeling tender.

"Don't try to speak right now," reaching over the nightstand Nott bought forward a cup of fragrant tea with a vile of a yellow potion to which he added in. Conveying it towards Lyra, she looked at him with suspicion and eyed the empty vile. "I think we're past the point of thinking one of us is intentionally trying to poison one another don't you think?"

Accepting the cup from his hands, she figured he was right. So the two sat peacefully in silence while Lyra consumed her tea slowly feeling her brawny throat soothe itself presumably because of whatever was in that potion. She rotated her head towards the vanity that was next to her and gasped at seeing the bruising that had begun covering almost her entire neck.

Their heads turned when they heard a sudden knock on the door. Lyra eyed Nott with worry and then back at the door, "It's probably Avery or Mulciber don't worry."and opened the door to reveal both the boys standing.

Coming inside the three boys just stood there blinking at Lyra and then she recalled the faint conversation she had heard lying on the astronomy tower floor. She retained what had happened that caused her to be lying in her dormitories at this moment.

Because of Tom Riddle.

She ripped the blanket off her stood up and screamed hysterically, "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" making her way towards the door, the three determined boys plunged themselves in front of her not allowing her out.

"Lyra please just let it go," Mulciber begged as she eagerly tried to pry the 3 of them off.

"Let it go? LET IT GO? Look at my neck Alastor his hands are literally bruised onto my fucking neck. Move the three of you now."

"You'll merely make it worse if you try to approach him right now - ow stop stepping on my foot!" Avery insisted as he stepped back on Lyra's nimble foot. After struggling for minutes, she had ultimately made it out the door with the boys running after her. She went downstairs into the common room to find Malfoy, Lestrange, and Rosier sitting comfortably by the cavernous fireplace.

"Where is he." she hissed.

"Where's who?" teased Lestrange not giving her the answer she wants.

"Don't act dumb right now, stupidity doesn't look good on you." growing more and more agitated with him.

He placed his arms on the leather couch that resided by the fireplace and pulled himself up rapidly, "How dar-"

"How dare I blah blah blah invariably speak to a high ranking pureblood blah blah blah. Answer my question."

"As one would expect, I should've known you correctly were a filthy little mudblood."

"Even if I was a muggle-born witch I'd understand why you'd be bitterly envious of the fact a muggle born performs better magic than a noble pureblood. Unfortunately, for you, I'm a pureblood as well."

The engaged two were standing neck and neck with Lestrange breathing down her expressive face. Balling their fists up restraining themselves from striking one another Mulciber squeezed himself in between the two, "Alright allow me to just get in here." and gently pushed them apart."I think we've had enough fighting for one night."

Fine, if they wouldn't inform her where he was she would seek him herself. She outstretched her hand and a mere second later her wand had flown into it, "I'll look for him myself." turned her back and was beginning to make her way out the common room.

Running in front of her Avery placed his gentle hands on both her shoulders which caused her to flinch unexpectedly, Avery noticed and recoiled his arms,

"Sorry, but listen to me, you and Riddle are pissed and Merlin you both have the same exact temper but I can assure you right now you two need to be away from each other. If you voluntarily go out looking for him, I think it'll result in you two burning down the castle." It amazed her how different the friends all were, Rosier, Lestrange and Malfoy seemed to have naturally taken Riddle's side. While Avery, Nott, and Mulciber genuinely seemed to want her out of possible harm's way and kept advising her to not see Riddle right now. How the hell did they all manage to become friends?

She sighed knowing he was right, that both wounds were still fresh and if she was to find him they'd both end up cutting deeper and deeper. Capturing one last look at those surrounding the common room, she said goodnight and eyed Lestrange one more time before storming off and slamming the door shut behind her.