All Is Fair ~ Tom Riddle AU

Chapter 40

Gen simply couldn't picture him as a murderer.

However, she wouldn't dare voice her doubts out loud. Not when her two best friends (platonic soulmates, really) were petrified. Not when Bilius was blaming himself for Roman getting attacked. Not when Tom looked like he was forcefully swallowing his tears, probably blaming himself for not having checked Rubeus' box earlier. Not when Reginald was blaming himself for not only Artemis' petrification but also Myrtle's death, feeling like he should have insisted accompanying the former and realised the bullying done to the latter; having gone as far as to debating to return his prefect badge to Professor Flitwick before Gen convinced him otherwise. And certainly not when Lord Potter was racking his brain for any laws due to which they could give Rubeus -the supposed murderer- a kiss with a dementor.

Gen was aware that if Rubeus did indeed commit all the crimes he had been accused of, her thoughts were a tarnish to the memories of not only her friends and the students who had been petrified, but also former fourth-year Myrtle who had been killed, but she couldn't help herself.

Rubeus did not seem like the type of person to intentionally harm a student, let alone kill someone. It just wasn't logical the way everyone unanimously decided to accept him as the murder even before he had confessed his guilt, making Gen wonder what had happened to the phrase 'innocence until proven guilty' since Rubeus was insisting he hadn't murdered or harmed anybody.

Gen felt as if she was a lone gladiator in an amphitheatre where everybody else was feeding the lions.

She didn't know what to think about anything or anyone, really. So instead, for possibly the first time in her life, she prayed. However, Gen didn't pray for Myrtle soul nor did she pray for the healthy revival of her friends and fellow students, rather, she prayed for the one who committed the crimes- whether it was really Rubeus or someone else. She prayed that they find peace with themselves. Merlin knew they needed it.

------> 0o0 <------

Tom was a believer in utilising time wisely and so, sometime when Artemis' frozen, horrified face became too much for him to stomach, he politely excused himself, went to the reception, borrowed a piece of parchment and a dipped quill and began to pen down a letter.

After he had pocketed it, Tom was making his way back to his or's room when he passed by her parents in the hallway. Lord Potter quietly informed him that he and his wife were going to get something to eat before checking on the progress of the Restoration Draught. They also told him that they didn't want Artemis -even if she wouldn't know it- to feel alone for even a minute, so if he was going to leave the hospital, he should either ask Gen to stay with Artemis until they returned.

Tom nodded his head while wearing an understanding smile. Lady Potter pulled him into a comforting hug and Lord Potter patted him on the back, grateful that thanks to him, the supposed person who caused his beloved daughter to fall into such a state was caught before they both left.

Tom decided he liked Lord and Lady Potter, especially considering his or was a wonderful blend of them both, inheriting her dry, witty tone from her father and the warmth of her hugs from her mother. Artemis' adorable smile, however, was all her own.

Tom's steps halted for a moment when he reached below the archway of the entrance of Artemis' room. Usually, whenever they walked, Artemis tended to loop her arm into his. He felt oddly empty at the loss of her touch.

He cleared his throat although there was nobody else present in the room but him and his petrified or.

"So, I finally met your parents," he announced as he began to walk closer to her. "You look identical to your mother- hair, eyes and all, but you behave precisely like your father from what I can tell."