CHAPTER NINETEEN
the truth
act three, year three
Warning: This chapter contains explicit descriptions of a toxic relationship. If you do not feel comfortable with this matter, please do not read it. It's important to say that I do not agree with any of this and that this is only a fanfic!
•••••.*.•••••
TOM IS LIKE THIS MOST OF THE TIME. He's so secretive, so good at keeping secrets. Y/n doesn't like that.
She doesn't like that she can't figure out most things that he hides from her.
So, she confronts him about it, but he's always capable to making her think that everything is right.
Tom is manipulative.
She waited for him on their usual spot, the astronomy tower. The girl was nervous as she walked back and forth.
The marks of the cold night could be seen in her skin. She was worried, everybody could see it.
The door of the astronomy tower opened. Tom walked into the dark night.
His arms were around her waist in a second while his lips claimed her own. The kiss was demanding but passionate at the same time.
"Tom, we need to talk." She said while taking a step away from him.
He didn't liked that but nodded. His face as stoic as possible.
"Professor Dumbledore, he talked to me the other day and.....somethings came into my mind."
Tom's eyes darkened. Why could Dumbledore possible tell Y/n to make her feel this way?
"What is happening to you, Tom?"
"Pardon me?"
She took a deep breath.
"I can feel it, Tom. The aura around you is getting darker and darker with time. What the hell is going on?"
Of course Dumbledore talked to her about Tom. He was doing everything to take her away from the Slytherin boy.
"Do you trust me?" He asked
"I do."
You shouldn't, his mind yelled.
"Then, you should know that when the time is right, you'll be the first to know everything."
He put his arms around her waist again. She could feeling his breathing against her face while his nose rubbed against hers.
"Patience is a virtue, love."
There it was, his manipulative ways of getting her to say yes. But not this time, not after the concerns that Professor Dumbledore shared with her.
Yet again she got away from his hold.
"No, Tom. I've been patient for a long time now, I'm over it." Her voice reflected all the anger she had inside of her "You're going to tell me what is wrong, and it's going to be now!"
Tom's romantic mask vanished upon hearing her words. She noticed that his already dark eyes were even darker now.
Taking a hold of her arm he starts to drag the girl with him to the door.
"You wanna know what's wrong? Want me to tell you everything? Want to see what I've been hiding this whole time?" He was so angry "Then, the truth you will get, my queen."
•••••.* .•••••
She sat down on her bed in a gasp. Y/n looked around and saw that she was back in her room.
It's been awhile since she dreamed of Tom. But this is not dreaming, she is sure that this is a memory.
Getting out of the bed, Y/n put her slippers on and start walking out of the room, carefully not to wake Hermione up.
Walking around Hogwarts at that time was dangerous, especially because if Mr. Flinch caught her, she would die in detention.
Thankfully, she didn't saw anyone as walked inside the library.
Y/n was looking for the book she had at home, for the book that Hermione read in the day she was petrified, but above all, Y/n was looking for answers. She was looking for the truth.
The Wintergreen knew where the book of her family was. She has been looking at it every time she came in here, but never got the courage to actually read it.
The girl picked it up as fast as she could and ran out of the library. On her way out she spotted something at the end of the corridor.
But it wasn't just something. It was madame Norris.
She knew that it was just a question of time before Mr. Flinch comes running as well. Going back to her dream, she knew that her past self and Tom used to meet on the astronomy tower, so maybe that's a safe place to hide.
Without looking back, she ran as fast as she could to her new hidden place.
Climbing all those stairs while running really tired her up, but, nonetheless, she still was able to open the door that made her walk into the cold night, just like on her dream.
Sitting down on the floor, the girl opened the book and start reading it.
Here is written and told the whole story and lineage of one of the most powerful families in the Wizard World, the Wintergreen family.
That was what was written on the first page. Turning to the second page, she continued to read what was written there.
The Wintergreen family has been around for centuries. Known for their intelligence and power, this family is constituted by members of Salazar Slytherin's house. Never in many centuries the Wintergreen family had an integrant that didn't belong to the house of the cunning, ambitious and resourceful.
Y/n wondered how many years has been since the book was last updated. She was a Gryffindor.
Even if she identified herself a lot more with the Slytherin house.
Many generations of witches and wizards tried to fight and equal the power of this family, always losing every battle against the Wintergreens.
As the years pass, it seems like they become more stronger.
More pages were available for her to read, but she passed them on trying to find something useful to her. That was until a new chapter of the book got her attention.
The Curse. That was the title of that chapter.
It is rumored that the Wintergreen family has a curse placed upon them. It is said that one of the members used black magic going against the balance of nature.
Many say that, after that night when black magic was used, the whole family disappeared leaving nothing more behind than their own house. A house that people believe to be haunted.
They disappeared on a night of full moon, and it is on another night of full moon that they will appear yet again. It was on the full moon that everything happened, and it is said that it will be on the same nigh that two powerful beings will connect in order to end it all.
She was even more confused by all of it than by her dreams. Y/n never heard of a curse around her family. It seemed all so unrealistic now.
After Turning page after page and reading word after word, she finally came around what she wanted to see.
The Wintergreen's family tree.
She was able to see who was the founder of their family. His name was Ares Wintergreen. It said that he was married to two women. The first one was named Iris, while the second wife was named Sophia.
He had six children. It was so interesting to see all about her family and all the people who had the same blood as her.
Looking around for familiar names, she finally spotted her grandfather's name. Following his name, she saw that they were directly related to the third child of Ares. His son with Iris. Alec Wintergreen that got married to Calliope Wintergreen.
That's how her whole lineage started.
Looking down at her grandfather's name, she could see her grandmother's name right in front of his.
Victor Wintergreen (1879-1946) & Meredith Wintergreen (née Moreau) (1880-1946)
God. This is so creepy. Under their names stood their children's names:
- Elijah Wintergreen (1900-1946)
- Theodore Wintergreen (1902-1946)
- Crystal Wintergreen (1915-1946)
Theodore Wintergreen? Who the hell is Theodore Wintergreen?
She always thought that her father only had one sister, her aunt Crystal. Then, why didn't anyone ever talked about this Theodore.
Perhaps, her past self knows who this person is.
Right in front of her father's name, she saw her mother's.
Rose Wintergreen (née Hendrix) (1903-1946)
Y/n never met her mum's family. However, she knows that her mum's mother was named Louise Hendrix, she was an amazing woman and loved to spend time with her daughter, that's what her mother tells her. Unfortunately, Mrs. Hendrix died before her granddaughter was born.
She can now see the siblings that her past self had as well.
- Y/n Slytherin (née Wintergreen) (1927-1946)
- Otto Wintergreen (1937- )
- Alice Wintergreen-Ashford (1937- )
But only now she was able to see that her Rose Wintergreen wasn't the only name by her father's side. While her mother's name stood on the right, another woman's name stood on the left side of her father's.
Grace Wintergreen (née Stark) (1900-1925)
And right under Elijah's and Grace's name stood another.
- Grayson Wintergreen (1925-1946)
So Grayson wasn't Rose's son in the past. It seemed like her father was married to Grace before her mother.
Y/n remembers that, while she was having the memory of that tragic night, she thought that Elijah Wintergreen looked bored and unreachable. What if everything is because of this woman called Grace?
The thing was that under all those names everything ends, except for the fact that Otto's and Alice's children appeared there. But the rest.....the rest doesn't exist.
She doesn't exist in this lifetime.
She, Y/n Wintergreen, daughter of Elijah and Rose Wintergreen, granddaughter of Victor Wintergreen and Meredith Moreau, niece of Crystal Wintergreen, born on a cold night in 1980, this girl didn't exist.
Nor did her parents, grandparents and aunt.
They all died that night 48 years ago. All killed by Tom Riddle himself.
Nevertheless, she actually was able to find out who Y/n Slytherin was. In fact, Y/n Slytherin and Y/n Wintergreen were the exact same person.
Until death do us part.
Tom's voice came back into her mind. He did told her that last year on the chamber of secrets. She didn't understood why then, but now......now everything makes sense and if she is right, then nothing will ever be the same.
However, something isn't right. If her theory is right, then the surnames don't match.
Suddenly, her head start hurting.
•••••.*.•••••
She was back with Tom. He still was dragging her around until they stopped in front of the girl's bathroom on the first floor.
"Why are we here, Tom?"
"You wanted to know the truth, didn't you? So now you'll have what you want."
Opening the door, he directed her to stand in front of the sink.
He put his hands on her shoulders.
"Do you remember all the classes I gave you about parseltongue, right?"
She nodded, slightly affected by the sound of his voice against her ear.
"Well, love, I want you to remember this as well."
Tom start speaking in a language that started to be familiar to Y/n now.
He never told her a lot of things, but he did told her about his talent of speaking this language. Tom wanted her to learn as well, even if she couldn't speak it, she could understand it.
The sink opened in front of them making the girl gasp.
"Come."
She put her hand on his and together they jumped down the now opened sink.
He was walking ahead of her, guiding the girl around the tunnel that lead them to a door. An old door with a snake on it.
Tom, yet again, spoke in parseltongue and it opened.
Following her boyfriend, Y/n walked inside the biggest room ever. It looked like a sanctuary than anything.
They eventually stopped in front of a big statue of a man.
"What is this room? Why are we here?"
Tom ignored her questions.
"Salazar Slytherin created this room. Before leaving Hogwarts, he decided to create something that only his true heir could open." He explained "Salazar wanted to ban muggle-borns from studying in this school.....and he found a way."
He looked behind him for a second before he stare laid on her again.
"Keep your eyes on me. Don't look away for any reason." He told her
Her eyes looked at his dark ones. She had so many questions, but he didn't want to answer any of them.
Without looking away, she still was able to see something coming close to them. It stood at its full height behind Tom.
"Oh, my Merlin, Tom!" Y/n exclaimed scared by what was behind him
He smirked.
"This is a basilisk. This is Salazar Slytherin's creation. I'm the only one that can control it now."
Y/n's eyes went wide with realization.
"Tom....." she trailed off
His smirk was bigger now.
"You.....You're the heir of Slytherin?!"
He nodded. Tom put one hand on her waist while the other went to rub her cheek.
"I am. This is the best gift anyone could have, Y/n."
"What are you going to do now?" She asked "What are your plans?"
He couldn't tell her. If Tom told her what he wanted to do, she would never say by his side. And he needs her, he needs her and her family's power.
"For now, I'll not do anything. I don't want to hurt anyone, love." He lied "I....I really don't know what to do."
Y/n felt so bad for him, he looked scared, even terrified.
She should know better back then.
Both of her hands came to his face trying to give him some comfort.
"Hey, it's okay Tom. Everything will be okay. I'm here remember? I'll forever be by your side."
One single tear came out of his eye making her heart break even more. Without thinking, but yet careful not to look to the snake behind him, she hugged the boy that she was crazy in love with.
"Yeah? You'll forever be my side?"
"Yes, forever."
Y/n put her head against his neck while letting his scent take over her senses.
Poor girl couldn't see the smirk on his face while more tears got down his cheek.
"Then, marry me." It was far from a question.
Y/n quickly took a step back
"W-What? Tom, are you joking?"
"No, I'm serious." His hand rubbed her cheek slowly "Every single person in this world leaves me, love. You just told me that you'll be with me forever. Then, marry me. Be mine for eternity."
She didn't know what to think anymore.
"Tom, marriage is a serious thing." She tried to explain in the most sweet way without hurting his feelings "We're still in Hogwarts, we don't have a job, we don't have a house. Yes, I want to be with you forever, and yes, I want to marry you someday, but not now."
His whole attitude changed. He no longer touched her cheek and was far away from her.
Tom couldn't believe that she said no to him.
"Also, my parents would never allow it."
She felt the basilisk passing behind her, but her eyes were fixated on Tom's back that now was turned to her.
Y/n was feeling guilty for rejecting his propose, but she couldn't get married now. She has plans for the future, plans that include him. So, if he was a little more patient, in the future, she will marry him.
"You lied." He announced
"What?"
"You lied." Tom turned to look at her again "You told me that you wanted to be with me forever. You lied when you told me that you loved me! I thought we wouldn't lie to each other."
She pointed her finger at him.
"Don't try to turn this on me, Tom. You lied to me about all of this," She opened her arms "You lied about everything to me. So, don't even try to make me feel guilty for being the racional one in this relationship."
"So, you're saying that marrying me it's not a racional thing to do?"
Y/n looked at him in disbelief.
"No, that wasn't what I meant,...."
He interrupted her
"Because it feels like it was." The heir of Slytherin got close to her "Can't you see that we belong to each other?"
She looked down unable to see his eyes.
"Can't you see that I love you?"
The Wintergreen closed her eyes.
"Because I do, darling. I love you."
Putting one hand under her chin, he made her look at him.
"Do you love me?"
"I do."
"Say it."
"I love you, Tom."
He smiled before kissing her.
"Do you see? We belong together."
•••••.*.•••••
A little dark this chapter, but I'm trying to describe Tom as I imagine the character to be.
Love you all,
Bye.