i am lord voldemort • Tom Riddle

Alternative Timeline: XXXIII

A new set of footsteps approached the next time the door opened. Lae knew this, because Cedrella's light steps and cheery voice had been her only connection to the outside world for days. The new steps paused at the threshold, as though briefly unsure, before continuing all the way to finally halt at Lae's feet. Then, without warning, the blindfold came loose in his hands. She shielded her eyes from the sudden onslaught of light. Squinting, her eyes travelled up his travel-worn leather boots, past his dapper suit, to at last land on his face. Handsome, were he not several decades too old for her, and had she not met Tom. While Tom's features leaned towards elegant and refined, this man — the same man who'd yelled at his colleague a few days before for blasting her into the wall, she realised — exuded a far more approachable charm. These were, of course, private thoughts, hidden within a well shielded mind, since Merlin only knew what Tom would do and say if he knew.

If she ever got to see him again.

Lae buried the disheartening notion before it had the chance to take hold.

While she watched, the man waved his wand over the apparently repaired table in the middle of the room, vanishing one old platter of food and drink, replacing it with another. Giving her a pointed look, he took the new glass of water and visibly drained over a third of it into his mouth, then set it down, sliding it to the edge of the table closest to where she sat.

"You can call me Theseus. Ask me anything you like," he said. Lae caught on instantly.

"What is my..." her voice came out little more than a hoarse croak, but she pressed on, "my best way of breaking out of here?"

He smiled. "Well, I could tell you, but for the sake of proving to you this doesn't contain any Veritaserum, and keeping my job, I'll keep that information to myself. That is why you've been refusing water, correct?" Lae chose not to respond, guarded. He  nodded, taking that as a confirmation. "Smart. They all were laced rather heavily. This glass isn't, as you plainly saw. We've decided information is not worth letting you die of dehydration, so go on. Drink."

With that comforting thought, she crawled to the edge of the table, and brought the trembling glass to her lips, spilling a good portion down her front. It did little to quench her thirst, seemingly absorbing into her dry tongue before even making it to her throat. Theseus dutifully refilled her glass, taking another conspicuous sip, and once again passing it on to her. She downed two more thusly filled glasses, before he declared that was enough, lest she upset her stomach.

He repeated the same scenario with a smooth custard, taking a bite, allowing her to ask a question that he could refuse to answer if it indeed contained no Veritaserum, then handing the small container off.

"So what's your angle?" she asked between spoonfuls, eyeing him wearily. "You took my blindfold so... are we back to Legilimency again? That certainly worked out for you last time."

"Oh no, I think not. Not that you have much reason to believe me, but I'm no Legilimens. I never could pick it up. I am, however, an expert Occlumens. You may even try looking into my head, if you like. I'd look forward to the attempt;" he shared a wink of overwhelming camaraderie, "no one's managed to get past me yet, and I'm actively looking to meet my match."

"Careful what you wish for," Lae warned, angling her spoon at him. It proved difficult to completely close herself off from his intense... friendliness. "My uncle could get into your head in thirty seconds flat — without a wand, and mid-duel with your best Aurors."

"High praise."

"Not praise. Fact."

"Care to give it a try for yourself, then?"