Tom Riddle X Reader | ✓

Part 89 The Fall

Your eyes locked to the ground, able to sense the radiating wrath, slowly consuming Riddle.

"Well?" - his raucous tone strained the ears, emotionally difficult to listen to "Why so silent?"

As much as desired, you couldn't ignore it "I've had it for private purposes"

"Private?" - he sneered, suddenly lowering his voice "I should remind you, may you have forgotten, nothing is private. I will find out whether it's to your liking or not."

"I haven't had it for that lon--"

"You're LYING." - as if a ticking time bomb, he grew louder again.

Making excuses was no use, he was brilliant at being able to tell what's the truth, and if he couldn't, there'd always be magic.

Your eyes peered towards his trembling fists before locking into his hopeless eyes, the anguish now in possession of him. "Dumbledore gave it to me."

"..Why would he."

"Before Hogwarts I---"

He halted you, aggressively stretching his palm in front of his face "Hogwarts?" - he repeated "You've had it since Hogwarts? And you did not care to inform me?"

"No. I did not."

"So what is its purpose to you then?" - a brittle sound escaped his voice, reflecting the genuine hurt he felt.

Aware you have no choice but to tell him, you let out a small sigh, unable to any longer maintain eye contact "To save... Everyone... From you."

"What?" - a yelp released from his mouth before the floor beneath your feet appeared to shake, as if Riddle's temper had summoned a mini quake

"I was ordered to save everyone from you. And I haven't been doing a great job. Obviously." - it was hard to look anywhere near his face, shame written all over your own

"So.." - he tried to speak but for a moment, no words could grow in his mind, the shaking intensifying beneath the feet "So I am no more than a relic, a trophy to you? An achievement from a job poorly done?!" -  his temper slipped from Tom's control.

"It started off as that way. But like any other story, it all fell apart" - you glared up, gathering courage as means to defuse the situation "I know you won't take an apology but I care about you deeply. Even after... Everything. Some senses you just can't shake off."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" - his face loosened, now higlighting the bitterness in his voice and the surrounding ground stopped trembling "How foolish do you take me for"

'Foolish enough to fool you for years' - you thought

"You're the one who can tell. Besides, I got the mark." - you stated "So what now?"

"Give me the time turner."

"Why?"

"Just give it."

"...I can't"

"I'm not asking"

"No." - you replied "You really don't understand. It's broken. It's been broken for years and I've been stuck here with my own failure"

"Hmph" - he stayed shut, as if puzzling your words, he was still sneering "I guess by no means shall we disrespect the future. This will be my pleasure." - he pulled out his wand, the tip of it immediately reflected in your eyes "Legilimens"

A flash suddenly hit the pair and Tom dvelved into the foregin mind.

He was able to read it all and feel it as if it was him there at every moment. As if re-living, he watched his own past - meeting with his future. He saw Hogwarts, the way you felt once you first met him and how attatchment developed through the years.

"Enough!" - you shouted, as if from afar, the only way to push him out of reading your thoughts was occlumency.

A blank mind.

Concentrate

Free your mind, let absolute emptiness absorb you.

When the flashing disappeared, as if a gravitating pull, you tumbled backwards, sweat dripping down your face.

But Voldemort already had read half of your thoughts.

"Very well." - he now calmly stated, adjusting his firm stance on the ground "I suppose you like it the difficult way"

"Stop it!' - you heavily exclaimed, the spell ominously left you out of breath

"I shall not waste my breath on you any longer" - the grip he clenched onto his wand tightened, a foul smirk appearing on his face, as if shadowing insanity "No." - his lip curled, sneerfuly, he leaned "I will hurt you, <y/n>"

"You have for many years already and I've endured it. What makes you think I can't take more?"

"Because I've never grown such loathing till this very moment. Perhaps I should thank you, you very much opened my eyes"

"About?"

"I now realize I was losing my guard. But no. No more" - he scornfully glared before turning his back on you

"So you're leaving me alive?" - your voice made him halt in place

He peeked at you over his shoulder, still the same wrathful glare on his face "Of course. How else would you find out"

"Find out about what?" - your tone grew louder with inticipation

He flashed a grin of mockery "Patience."

He may be leaving you alive, but he knew other ways to torture you mentally.

A light flash, as if a spark, hit the door Riddle was about to reach

He looked back, spotting you with your wand stretched at him

"No!" - you yelled "I will not be your puppet! I will not do what you like and wait, I am not your slave!"

"Are you sure?" - he furiously glared at your tattoo - the dark mark - his symbol

"Duel me, Riddle"

He folded his arms behind his back, his face blank "No."

"Am I not worthy? We battled before."

"I am a lot more powerful, careful what you wish for"

"No. Let's face it, you do not dare to do it again because you love me!" - your wand still pointed it him, you watched his face drop, his eyes widen, he did not expect you to shout that out bluntly

"I do not."

"Then prove it!" - you were ready to duel him, if not for yourself, for the child.

A flashback hit him - when he killed you and what stroke him - when he had to battle himself

And that conflict stormed his mind, he was in no position to duel now "Farewell, <y/n>"

When an ejected bolt was about to collide with him, he disappeared - apparition.

"Coward!" - your voice quivered, only barely hitting his ears before he teleported away.

He felt about a dozen different emotions - none of them pleasant. And you knew, he was about to act under an impulse.

And that's never good.

***