SERPENT HEART° TOM RIDDLE

048. FORTUNA CAECA EST

"I could feel you staring the entire class," Rhea commented as she made her way across the aisle to Tom's spot. The boy rolled his eyes, his hands in his pockets.

"Do not flatter yourself." Tom grumbled. Rhea laughed, already knowing the boy would never openly admit he had been distracted by her. "We need to talk. Your sacrifice will take place a few days from now. Have you decided how you'll get the girl to the forest?"

"Perhaps I should just use the Imperius Curse on her and give her no choice. Teaching your Knights has inspired me." Rhea smirked. Surprisingly, a lot of the Knights were rather good at performing the Imperius and Cruciatus Curse, though even fewer of them could handle having the curses inflicted upon them. Rhea had gotten the chance to cast the Cruciatus Curse at Ramsey Lestrange and she had taken joy in watching as he squirmed in pain at her feet.

"It could work, though you'll have to find a way to get her alone long enough to cast the spell without anyone noticing." Tom said as the pair of them exited the Alchemy classroom and began to walk in the direction of the sixth floor. "Seraphina should follow her and find out the girl's schedule."

"I wasn't sure if I should involve Seraphina in this. It's better to keep this between only you and I. Not everyone can be trusted."

The corner of Tom's mouth twitched pleasantly.

"But I can?"

"If you were going to betray me, you would have a long time ago. Besides, I think our relationship has far surpassed the need for that question. You are, perhaps, one of the only people I can trust and I am the same for you." Rhea said, matter-of-factly. She knew it to be true. Did Tom truly think that if worse came to worse that Malfoy or Nott wouldn't protect their name if it meant Tom's downfall?

He did not respond as they stopped in front of the door to the Room of Requirement. Rhea stepped in front of Tom, choosing not to look at the expression on his face as they entered the meeting room for the Knights of Walpurgis.

"What do you want?" Tom asked suddenly. Rhea frowned as she turned her back to Tom, setting her books on the long table. She allowed for his question to set in, tossing it over in her head.

"What do you mean?" Rhea asked, glancing over her shoulder. Tom stood near the door, arms crossed over his chest as he eyed Rhea suspiciously. Rhea turned to face him, tilting her head to the side and portraying an expression of innocence which made Tom narrow his eyes at her.

"Everyone else's motives are clear. Some seek the protection that comes with aligning themselves with someone willing to do what it takes to achieve their desired future; others follow me in the hope of obtaining the power I will have one day; and others simply wish to see the end to our common enemy. But you do not seek protection or glory or cruelty. You follow something else. What is it? Why do you stay?"

Rhea froze, dropping her gaze to her feet. For the first time, she felt as though she could let Tom see her for who she was, truly, at her most vulnerable.

"I have spent my life protecting my family, hoping to do something to give the Hel name the recognition it deserves. I never understood why my father would risk being Grindelwald's right hand when it meant losing everything, and then I met you. You changed . . . everything, in ways I'm not sure I quite understand. I believe that I can help you, but together, we could give each other everything the other has been looking for." Rhea said, earnestly, meeting eyes with Tom as she spoke with the utmost conviction. "Marrying Atlas Krane and having his children . . . being forced to live that life would never satisfy me as much as this does. Do you not imagine how powerful we could be together?"

Tom did not answer her question and he did not need to. It was a thought that had plagued him since he first approached her two years ago.

"I have never relied on anyone . . ." Tom said, though his tone was uncertain and unsure of himself for the first time since Rhea had met him.