O r p h a n ● Tom Riddle [Harry Potter Fanfiction]

⑭ Quatorze - Who is Who?

Officer Daley looked horrified before shaking his head, "No, no, her husband passed three days ago."

The girl felt relieved, but for a fleeting moment she questioned if it was the same day she'd arrived, but she hadn't been keeping track of time. An hour felt a like a day to her here, time was not a pleasant concept grasped by orphaned children, it only made them greyer.

"Vivienne, I hope you're feeling better."

The girls eyes shot up, staring at the blue of Officer Daley, "You... you know my name." Of course he'd know my name.

Officer Daley nodded, smiling warmly at the girl as he fiddled with his cap, "I... I'm..." he paused before reaching his hand out to grasp hers, "I would like to adopt you, Vivienne.

I could give you a better life, not... not rotting away here, around people like...-"

Vivienne furrowed her brows, raising a hand and silencing Officer Daley, "You don't know me, sir. And quite frankly, I have no reason to accept your offer. I don't know you. You could be as bad as the man who'd been 'looking over us' all this time, then murdering one of us. "

"Two, he killed two of you." Officer Daley interrupted, casting his eyes down to his hands.

Vivienne shook her head, "If you think Mrs. Pam was one of us-"

Officer Daley's eyes shot up and his brows furrowed as he stared at her, "No," he hesitated, struggling to find his words.

What was he supposed to say? The man had killed three, almost four people, but while they'd become numbers to the force, the two children who had died were still her peers, but how could he possibly tell her he understood, that he hadn't counted Mrs. Pam as part of her world? She was an orphan, and he was not. "He killed another boy, Billy Turnby, and Anatolia. He killed two of you."

Vivienne gulped, her jaw tightening as she fought a smile. She felt her lips quiver, tempting her to let go.

An awkward silence filled the room. Officer Daley looked solemnly at Vivienne, he assumed she was mourning, thinking over her loss, one she hadn't known.

Unbeknownst to him, while Anatolia's death had shaken something within her, Billy's death, had not. It took all she had and 10 whole minutes to speak up again, fearing her true feelings might seep out had she spoken too soon. "Officer... I-... I didn't know. I don't know how to feel." She wanted to pat herself on the back, "Please," she spoke, lips quivering, a bite of the bottom lip for good measure, "Please leave me, I must think this over. I'd like some time to-" she made a fainting gesture as she added weight to her eyelids, drooping them slowly, "I'm-... I'm sorry." She whispered, finally. Vivienne, you've hit homerun!

Officer Daley watched the girl with pity as he placed his cap back onto his head. He kept his head down and sat for a moment, thinking over what she'd said. She was right, she hardly knew him. Why, after what she'd just been through, why would she want to be with him? He couldn't find an answer. But he would... yes! He thought, he would.

So as he got up, he placed a smile on his face. He wanted to assure her that everything would be fine, but in the due time, he'd find the words. "Rest well." He spoke warmly at the girl.

Vivienne smiled back at him, but he could tell, she was unsure. As his polished shoes made its way across the creaks and groans of her wooden floors, he didn't blame her one bit.

There was a quick final bow just as he slid out the door.

The door shut. All was quiet again. But at the bed there was a child, very much awake this time, who clenched her fists and grimaced with a menace. As she soon fell into desperation, her clenched fists released itself, and she cocooned herself into her sheets. Perhaps, a tear had fallen. Perhaps, there was sadness in her. The only thing for certain, was the drop of a crumpled ball of paper now banished beneath the shadows of her bed. Perhaps, it had been Nym.