𝐀 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 ║Tom Riddle ✔ [EDITING]

Chapter Twenty: A Sister's Name

"She called herself an incredibly crude word. She's like four." He states, glaring at me, but gazing back at the girl with barely hidden intrigue.

"I'm actually five." The girl whispers at us with a giggle.

"Still want to hand her over to Grindelwald?" I whisper under my breath, with a snort. He tilts his head, analyzing the child. I blink twice, realizing how much like a snake he really did look.

He shrugs, lifting the cup to his nose. He sniffs it as if he didn't trust whatever was in the drink. He watches me have a sip first. I didn't taste any truth serum in it this time. Thank the lord. Tom watches me for a second as if I would spontaneously combust. I scoff at his paranoid behaviour. He takes a tentative sip just after I had.

"Would've saved me a lot of trouble." He murmurs to me, answering my question, sounding almost grumpy.

"What would you like to be called?" I ask the young girl, and she looks up at me, eyes widening in hope.

"I have a choice?" She asks and my heart breaks.

She reminded me so much of myself at that moment, I had to blink.

"Names have power. Choose wisely." Tom snaps at her, giving her a warning look.

"I like your name." She admits looking at me, and I smile.

"Valentine?" I ask, and she nods, head bobbing up and down frantically.

"Can I just have your name?" She asks. making me chuckle, shaking my head.

"Make your name special. Make it unique."

Tom was scoffing to the side.

"What about Ariana?" Aberforth asks, voice terse, and I still. That was the name of his late sister. I knew that because of Ron. Everyone in the future knew the story of Ariana Dumbledore.

The girl beams. "I like that!!" She demands, pointing at him with her tiny fingers. "Can I be called Ariana?" She asks, looking around at us, hope shining in her eyes.

"Of course you can." Aberforth nods. He knew who she was. Who she was related to. What her mismatched eyes represented, yet he still allowed this girl to take the name of his sister. He was smiling softly at her.

Tom was silent, staring from Aberforth to my chilled stance, in silent analyzation. He shrugs and continues sipping his hot chocolate from his mug.

Lord Voldemort sure loved his hot chocolate.

Albus apparates into view and stares at us. "Aberforth, you still haven't healed them!? Look at the poor kids." Albus demands after a second, making Aberforth glare at his brother.

"I was healing them emotionally." He retorts and my lips curve up in a smile at that.

Albus waves his wand towards Tom and me. All my scrapes and bruises were instantly repaired. I didn't notice how much pain they'd been causing. Albus does the same to the curious Ariana. "What are those stick things?" She asked, and we all stare at her.

"I always see them, but I don't actually know what they are." She claps her hands again.

"These are wands, my child," Aberforth answers her as Albus moves to sit in the spot beside me.

"Mr. Riddle. Ms. Dumbledore. Explain the attack, please." Albus motions at us with a hand and I turn to lock eyes with Tom. He was busy drinking his hot chocolate and motions for me to talk with his head. I purse my lips, shooting him a glare.

"We were at Diagon's Alley just, you know, hanging out." I give Tom a look, and he nods absentmindedly.

"Yes. Yes. That is what we were doing." He muses and then moves to grab my half-filled hot chocolate mug. "This is magnificent hot chocolate, Mr. Dumbledore." He points to Aberforth. I gape at him. He stole my hot chocolate! The nerve of him.