The Dawn of Darkness || T. Riddle

Chapter 23: Back to Business

"You're a cruel man," she said, brushing her fingers against his cheek.

He grabbed her wrist as her fingers brushed over his skin, and the last words she heard him speak before they twisted and turned through the air, back to the manor, was the soft lilting sentence that made her heart crash against her bones:

"Sometimes we're cruellest to the ones we care about most."

***

Alden sat at the head of the long, mahogany meeting table, trying to ignore the feeling of about a dozen pairs of eyes looking towards him as he drummed his fingers on the table.

They'd been gone for a day now. A whole day without a single sign of their whereabouts. A whole day where Alden had to sit in Tom's damned chair and answer to wary Death Eaters who were beginning to lose their patience.

"Well?" Avery asked.

Alden let out a deep sigh as he looked out at his fellows. "There's still no sign of them."

Avery shook his head. "Well where have they gone? Surely you must know, Viridian."

"I've told you once and I'm not telling you again, I don't know where they are!" He shot back, and Avery scowled as he sat back in his chair, his mouth pressing into a thin line as he exchanged glances with Rosier who was sitting opposite him.

That's one of the things Alden didn't like about being Tom's "right hand man" as Malfoy had branded him: everyone expected him to know everything, and in Tom's absence they looked to him as their leader.

"Something's not right," Avery said distantly. "He wouldn't just leave. Especially not after an attack. Something's wrong." His icy eyes darted up towards Alden disapprovingly. "It's ever since she's been here..."

Alden shot him a warning glare. "Don't start that again, Avery-"

"It's true!" he said, his voice rising. "Ever since she's been here he's gone off the wall! He's focusing more on her than the important matters at hand!"

Alden observed the nodding heads around the table.

"I know that none of you like Estela, but it's no reason to blame everything on her! Your prejudice towards her from your school days is blinding you all, and you're doing nothing more than making her a scapegoat for all your problems." He said in a low voice. "Riddle wants her here, and so you must understand that. There's obviously a reason she's here."

Lestrange snickered. "Yes, and we all know what that reason is."

The Death Eaters joined him in a chorus of spiteful snickers and Alden felt the heat rise to his cheeks.

"Enough!" he shouted, and silence fell. "We're not here to discuss Estela, although might I remind you, Lestrange, that if it hadn't been for Estela, your soul would more than likely be in the hands or a dementor right now! And if any of you have a problem with her, I suggest you take it up with Riddle! Avery, would you like me to pencil you in to discuss Estela's presence with him further?"

Avery scowled and shook his head.

"I thought not," Alden replied.

"Should we start a search?" Rosier suggested, his thick frame leaning over the table.

"Do you really think Riddle wants to be found?" Alden asked with scepticism. "When he's ready, he'll return."

"And what are we meant to do until he does? Sit around waiting for him? For all we know he could be gone for weeks!" Lestrange said gruffly.