Into Your Gravity ( Luna Lovegood & Tom Riddle )

Chapter thirty-one: Betrayal

A look of horror crossed her face, and she spun around, dropping her wand to her side and bowing her head. "Nothing, my lord," she simpered.

"Go make yourself useful, and leave Jugson to the duty he was assigned," Voldemort said shortly, his eyes flashing.

"Yes, my lord. Thank you." Bellatrix left quickly, but took the time to toss a glare at Luna and Jugson over her shoulder, her eyes flashing behind wild black hair.

Jugson had stood when Voldemort had entered the room, and he now bowed. "Just finishing her breakfast, and then she'll be ready, my lord," he said to the floor.

"Good. And if you ever purposefully bait Bellatrix again, you will not be able to stand as you are now," Tom said smoothly. "It isn't a wise thing to do, whether I'm present or not." To Luna's horror, Bellatrix's violent nature seemed to amuse him.

"Understood, my lord," the other man replied, bowing lower.

Voldemort's eyes shifted to where Luna was sitting on the bed, but she was studiously ignoring him in favor of her breakfast plate. He returned his gaze to Jugson and said, "Wait outside the door."

Jugson nodded and shuffled out into the corridor, pulling the heavy wood door closed behind him.

Tom waited until the door was shut, then said, "I'm certain Jugson's already told you that we are leaving this headquarters."

She nodded silently, acting very interested in the slice of bacon in her fingers.

He reached into the pocket of his jet black robes and pulled out her necklace, the chain newly mended. He held it out to her. When she didn't take it, he said, "Put it on."

"I don't want it," she said quietly, her voice bitter.

The next second, and Tom's long fingers were wrapped around her chin, forcing her into eye contact. She dropped the bacon in surprise. "I didn't ask if you wanted it. You'll put it on, and you'll keep it on," he said in a low, carefully contained voice.

She swallowed hard, staring in his eyes, which seemed less bright than usual, in addition to his lack of patience. She was unwilling to risk her life when she was so close to seeing her friends again. "Fine," she whispered.

He released her, dropping the necklace in her lap. "Now. Let's go."

"We're leaving right now?" she asked as she obediently put the necklace on, feeling its familiar weight and warmth.

"Yes. Up," he replied shortly as he swept towards the door and opened it. "Jugson, put her out."

"Yes, my lord," Jugson answered, pulling his wand out.

Luna had time to say, "Excuse me?" before she was knocked out.

                                 •

Luna woke up mid-afternoon. She was lying on a dusty, moth-eaten bed, the sheets of which looked as if they hadn't been touched in decades. As she sat up to look around, a puff of dust rose from the mattress and made her sneeze. The room she was in looked like a spare bedroom of what once had been a fancy manor. The furnishings were grand, but as dusty as the bed and in disrepair. The window had been boarded shut.