Turned - Tom Riddle

Chapter Thirty Nine

"Not quite," Tom mumbled, seeming to shrink both verbally and physically.

Elizabeth shrugged and began talking about a boat race that would occur the next week that she had attended since she was a young child. Tom, however, couldn't focus on her words. The only thought that pressed his mind was one fact: Elizabeth was not on his side.

-

"So, what did you and Tom do today?" Elizabeth's grandmother imposed as they washed dishes together.

"We just walked around the beach a bit," Elizabeth explained, pulling a plate off of the pile and scrubbing it.

Sandra looked at her granddaughter skeptically, "Do you fancy him?"

"Grandmother, that's completely preposterous," Elizabeth scoffed, knowing she was lying to both her grandmother and herself.

"I see that look in your eye when he talks, it's the same one your father gives your mother," she pointed out the similarity.

Elizabeth thought back to the tale of how her parents met, reminding herself of their gushy moments in the halls at Hogwarts. She would sometimes impose a charm on herself that made it seem as if she were there with them. Drawing back to reality, she remembered that the story of Tom and her was nothing like that of her parents.

"Just don't close him out," her grandmother advised.

Tom listened from the other side of the kitchen door, trying his best not to smirk. At least he knew that Elizabeth had confided in her grandmother how warmly she felt for him, boosting his reputation and lowering the suspension around him, should the occasion arise.

His focus drew back to reality as he saw Elizabeth drying her hands, causing him to walk away from the door and act as if he were passing by. Elizabeth pushed the door open, and her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Evening," Tom greeted, forcing a smile.

She returned the expression. "My grandparents are going to be at a recreational quidditch match tomorrow, so we'll have the place to ourselves," Elizabeth told him in a hushed tone, hoping that she was out of range from her grandmother's hearing.

"What are you suggesting?" Tom skeptically asked.

"There's one curse I have not yet taught you," she whispered. "It's the worst one of them all."

A fire lit inside of Tom, feeling a magnetic attraction to her, "I thought you had told me all of them."

"I taught you all that I wanted you to know," she explained, "but I think you deserve to know this one. You've worked so hard."

"I truly have, haven't I?" Tom basked in the praise Elizabeth fed him.

"I will tell you tomorrow, I promise," she reassured him. "But for now, we should sleep," Elizabeth told Tom.

"That sounds perfect," Tom agreed and followed Elizabeth up the stairs. Elizabeth stopped at her door and turned around, facing Tom. "Goodnight," he leaned down, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

Elizabeth smiled and backed into her room, shutting the door after her. Tom sighed and walked across the hall to his room. He began to unbutton his shirt while he walked to the window and looked out at the moonlight that reflected off of the waves. He didn't know whether he'd stay or not. As Elizabeth said, she only had one piece of magic left for him. After he learned it, what would he do?

A small knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts. "Come in," he called out, not turning away from the window. He heard the door open, no words coming from who he assumed to be Elizabeth. Tom turned around, surprised to witness her standing there in a silk robe that he'd seen her sleeping in before. "Elizabeth, what is it?"

She said nothing, gingerly stepping closer to him. Elizabeth stopped and as he was about to say something, she slipped the robe off, silencing his concern. He placed a hand on the small of her bare back and pulled her in for a kiss. Through the course of their actions, he realized he may have a harder time when deciding whether or not to stay.

-

"Where do you want to go?" Elizabeth asked him the next morning as he watched her brush her hair.

He had thought about it for some time, where he wanted to take her that day, yet he felt no place was truly deserving of it. "There is a beach I saw in a photograph once," he suggested. "There's a cliff above the water with flowers and grass, it's beautiful."

"Let's go there, then, I can't wait to see it," Elizabeth smiled, standing up and slipping her feet into a pair of sandals. She wore a loose-fitting white dress, and she reminded Tom of an angel.

She grabbed the picnic basket and placed her arm upon his, apparating to the cliff he'd promised her. It overlooked the bluest water she'd ever seen. Yellow, pink, and white flowers spotted the green grass as a warm wind breezed through the air.

"This is beautiful," Elizabeth whispered. "Thank you," she smiled at him.

His stomach was uneasy. "Of course," he muttered. They sat together in the grass, eating sandwiches as she'd promised they would. Tom picked at the food and ultimately set it back down. He watched as Elizabeth ate a cherry, wind blowing her hair about, not a single thing giving her stress.

"Not hungry?" Elizabeth noticed his accumulation of untouched food. He shook his head, and she shrugged. "Suit yourself," she smiled and took his orange slices.

He noticed his ring on her finger, realizing that he needed it back. "Elizabeth, I was thinking of getting that ring engraved, maybe with my initials, for you," he spoke.

"Oh, that would be so nice," she gushed, taking the ring off and giving it to him. "Here, I don't want it to get dirty magic on it, just in case." She continued eating, then suddenly remembered why they were there, "Speaking of dirty magic... shall we get started?"

"Can we just sit for a moment?" he asked, more or less in a begging manner. She obliged and laid down on her back, allowing herself to be engulfed in small flowers. Tom was at a loss for words, entranced by her serenity and aura. He never wanted to leave her. He placed his hand on her head, stroking her hair gently while the ocean made lovely noises below them. As they sat, Elizabeth dozed off into a state of slumber.

She looked so innocent, Tom thought. He knew in that moment that she was all he ever wanted. He remembered a few months back when Elizabeth was unconscious in Joshua's room, Joshua speaking to her while she was out. Of course he'd heard everything, he had his ways. Tom thought that whatever he said while she slept would slip into her mind subconsciously.

"Elizabeth," he began, plucking individual flowers from the ground and placing them in her hair. "I used to think I would never care for anyone, never need someone as much as I need you," Tom admitted to her closed eyes, organizing more colorful petals. "When I first saw you at Hogwarts, I forgot about the magic you possessed, the hexes you'd performed, even the lives you've ended, I just saw you, struggling to open the handle-less door." His face turned red from anger and guilt, "You are the most valuable thing to me, and I hope you never felt like you needed to do anything to impress me or gain my affection."

He placed a final, larger white flower over her heart. It took everything within him to try and prevent it, but he couldn't help the tears which bypassed his lashes, rolling down his cheeks and landing on her neck. Nearly shaking from emotion, he bent down and placed a kiss on her pink lips, a few more tears landing on her face. He was surprised she hadn't awoken yet, but glad that she hadn't.

"Elizabeth Maryn, you are, and will continue to be the best thing that has come into my life. That's why this is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do," Tom whispered and drew his wand. "I will never forget you." Not wanting to close his eyes, he watched as with a small movement of his wand, the life drained from the girl he wanted to love. A final breath escaped her lips and she was gone.

A final tear rolled off of his cheek. Tom stood and wiped his face with the sleeve of his button-up. After one final look at her lifeless body, he put his arms through the black cloak he'd brought, pulling the hood over his head.

Tom Riddle walked away and never looked back.

The End