So Much for No Strings Attached

Chapter 53 Turncoats and Deceivers

 

‘I understand,’ Tom said calmly. ‘I would feel the same.’

 

Tom knew that he would feel the same from painful personal experience of having been in the same shoes as the five elder Weasley brothers. Tom had thought for many years that James had betrayed him to the Light side and the Mudblood whore Lily Evans. He had been so angry and hurt by what he thought James had done to him - to them - to what they had.

 

Yet at the same he would never have hurt James no matter what many of his Inner Circle Death Eaters had thought about leaving the traitor alive and unpunished. It was part of the reason he had gone after Evans and Hadrian that night. Tom knew that there were several Death Eaters who wanted to teach the traitor a lesson themselves if the Dark Lord was not willing to.

 

Tom had hoped that they would be satisfied with having the traitor watch as his whole family was destroyed but not be allowed the mercy of death. Plus, Tom had wanted James to hurt as much as Tom did. Destroying James’ happiness would have been just desserts in Tom’s opinion but even at his lowest moment Tom would have never stood by and watched James be killed.

 

If Tom had had a body when Dumbledore came he would have destroyed Dumbledore rather than let James be killed. Hell, if he hadn’t fled soon as his body been destroyed he could have at least distracted Dumbledore long enough for James and Hadrian to get to safety. It wasn’t like he could have been killed. But he was hurt, angry and weak so had fled leaving James to be murdered.

 

Yes, it was different because the Weasleys had actually committed the crimes they were accused of without any controlling spells or potions. Yes, it could be argued that Ron and Ginny were indoctrinated by their mother and Dumbledore. However, that didn’t excuse them of their behaviours considering Hadrian too was indoctrinated and even before finding the truth he would never have opted to blame a child for their parentage. Or raise a child as a weapon and sacrifice. Nor hurt a child in a bid for controlling. And he definitely would not spend fifteen years plotting said child’s murder.

 

‘I know that my family are not the one that you really want,’ the elder Weasley said succinctly. ‘That honour belongs to Dumbledore.’

 

‘No, they are not,’ agreed Tom calmly.

 

‘Lord Slytherin may be more interested in Albus Dumbledore but that does not mean your family are absolved of their crimes,’ Amelia said coolly.

 

‘Nor are we willing to leave them unpunished,’ Hadrian said sharply.

 

Anger shone in Tom’s son’s chocolate coloured eyes. Anger that echoed in Tom but it was so much worse for Hadrian than Tom. The Weasley matriarch had been the mother he had never had. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger had been his brother and sister – his best friends. And they had been lying, ticking, poisoning, stealing and plotting his death the whole time.