Star Crossed

Chapter Ninety Nine- Underhand

I sighed as I sat up in my favourite worn out armchair next to the crackling fireplace which was slowly being reduced to cinders. I tapped my fingers upon the armrest. Dam him. Why? Why did he have to walk back into my life. I was just about getting my life together, my heart was healing, I was going days without thinking about him, without returning to the memories or the photos... and now he was back.

My career... it was everything I had ever wanted, I had worked so hard for it after Tom and Wiglaf had left, 'You have to chase it, you can not be distracted' and yet here I was just one stupid decision away from risking it all and for what? 
I jumped up and strode towards my desk sitting down and snatching over some parchment and a quill hastily. Without thinking I dipped it into the ink,
Dear Wiglaf, 
I have made contact with Tom and

I shook my head and screwed up the parchment throwing it across my desk. I sighed as I dragged over yet another piece of parchment. 
Dear Lazarus,
I don't know what to think or what to do. I saw Tom yesterday and

No! I growled as I screwed up the second letter and discarded it with the first, I slammed down my quill. This was my situation and it was me that had to make my own decisions. Only mere hours had Tom been back in my life and already I was reverting back to my teenage self!
It was then that Juniper interrupted my thoughts with a polite tap at my window, I swung it open allowing her to glide in. I quickly shut it behind her as the cool October evening breeze came with her. 
"Evening Juniper," I yawned leaning across to unattach the note upon her scrawny leg. 
"Ah wait... remember your manners," I warned with holding her treat for a moment as she sulked away looking guilty. I smiled holding it back out towards her, which she then took very gently from my hand.
"Good girl," I smiled. I returned my attention to the note now in my hand. My stomach churned, 
"The old church, tomorrow, six pm." no name was signed, but I knew that perfect cursive hand anywhere. I threw it down onto the table, how dare he! 

I pulled my hood up over my head as I looked across the cobbled street towards the old silhouetted church. What was I doing!? I had spent the entire day convincing myself of the very opposite. With a sigh I made my way across the street and through the old, rusting iron gate which squeaked loudly causing me to cringe. I was completely alone and it was now five minutes past six. If he had stood me up I would have to arrest myself for homicide, I sighed leaning against the old brick of the church tower, I would wait for five minutes and no longer. 
"You're late." I jumped almost twice my height as I spun around to face the tall hooded figure leaning casually against the old rotten oak to the side of the church, they gracefully removed their hood allowing the dim light of an overhead street lamp to illuminate his pale face. 
"A church? Coming to repent our sins are we?" I sneered pushing myself away from the wall and walking towards him, he merely smirked at me. 
"I'm afraid there isn't long enough for that... though I have to say I wasn't sure whether you would come but it would seem you haven't completely changed. Your curiosity still gets the better of you." he commented folding his arms across his chest. 
"And your arrogance still precedes you." I replied haughtily. "I have questions." I strode towards him ignoring the familiar scent of his cologne upon the cold air as I grew closer, he smirked down at me just like he always used to do standing almost a good foot above me.
He chuckled, "I'm sure." 
"Who was the ministry official? Why didn't he turn up? Did the ministry know?" I quickly reeled off the questions that had kept me awake for the nights that had followed our last conversation. 
"My my that is a lot of questions." he teased. "Who is not of your concern nor is why they did not show, as for if the ministry knew about it well the ministry never tends to know much." he unfolded his arms places his hands in his long black coats pockets. "My turn now," he smiled,
"How did you know about the exchange?" I knew that look I quickly cleared my mind. 
"Can't you trust my words?" I asked staring his straight into his glacier eyes, ice cold, no warmth and yet I knew better the hottest fires always burn blue. 
"I arrested a man last week, I trust you probably know him as he told me of the exchange in a last ditch attempt for me to let him go." I smirked. 
"And did you?" Tom asked raising an eyebrow. 
"Of course not." I replied causing Tom's smirk to widen. 
"Of course not." he repeated. "And where is this man now?" 
"Taken up residence in a grand old building, beautiful architecture, surrounded by the roaring ocean and wide open skies." I smiled. 
"I see," Tom replied. "I take it such a charming place is his forever home?"
"Oh of course, everyone says most people who live their never often leave." I replied. 
"There are certainly worse places he could be right now." Tom grinned, but there was something off about it... besides I could not think of where was possibly worse than Azkaban. 
Silence dragged out between us, I shivered. I did not know if it was due to the cold or the persistent and penetrating gaze of Riddle. 
"Why did you ask me here?" I asked finely breaking the deafening silence. 
"I have a proposition for you." he replied simply. 
"I work for the ministry Riddle." I said sharply, I did not want to risk my job to be involved in his sordid affairs. 

"Precisely." Riddle smirked. "I need you to retrieve some... information." 
"What kind of information?" I could feel my curiosity getting the better of me again and he knew it. He knew I would not be able to resist hearing him out. 
"I need to know where this is." he leaned forward his face inches away from my own before he quickly pulled back handing a piece of parchment towards me, I took it withdrew my wand and illuminated the image. "What is it?" I asked tilting my head to the side as I considered it trying to figure out if I had seen it before but I could not recall... it looked like a golden compass but yet when you looked more closely there was no directions on its face but instead strange markings.
Tom was no longer smirking his face was expressionless.
"Why do you want to know where it is so badly? And how can I help find it." 
"In the wrong hands it could be... dangerous. I want to... investigate it... I have cause to believe that the ministry where the last people to know its whereabouts." there was something in Tom's tone that disgruntled me but yet... I found myself wanting to help him. 
"I will see what I can do." I nodded curtly.
He nodded at me with a smirk before he  turned from me and began to walk away. 
"Wait." I shouted, I couldn't stop myself as I saw him pause as he inclined his head towards me. 
"Have you spoken to Wiglaf and Lazarus since leaving Hogwarts?" I felt the question slip from my mouth. 
"No." he replied bluntly before turning his head from me and making to walk away again. 
"I listened to what you had to say, now you listen to me." I snapped causing him to stop dead in his tracks again but this time he did not turn his head towards me but stared straight ahead. 
"Why? Why did you just abandon us?" I felt the anger swelling in my veins. 
"I did not abandon. We took our own paths." He replied, I could sense anger in his voice though he was trying desperately to contain it. 
"We took our own paths..." I scoffed.  "Yet here you are willing to cross paths with me again because you want something from me? I guess nothing has changed that has always been the way you played your game hasn't it? Using people, using us, using me. Well I am not a child anymore Riddle and I will not be used. Find your silly little compass yourself, 'carry on your own path'." I wrapped my cloak around myself and pushed past him, I half expected him to grab me, for him to lose his temper but he did not... had I wanted him to? No! I meant what I had said, I could see it now. I was older, wiser, Riddle had never cared about any of us, least of all me. He had manipulated my feelings from the start and I would not find myself hurting for him again. He was toxic to me like a poison that I just couldn't help but drink but I needed to be stronger this time one more sip and it would be the end for me.