Tom glanced to his side every so often, just to check if Leo was still walking beside him.
They were walking around a small market near little Little Hangleton. The atmosphere was quite cheery as Christmas Eve was just the next day.
He never knew that the market would be so lively. Children were singing carols and people smiled at Tom evey once in a while.
Everyone looked happy. The crisp morning air carried delicious aromas of freshly baked cakes. Every shop was glinting with fairy lights and other Christmas decorations.
Everyone was just happy and living in the moment.
All except Leo
Leo gave off very dark aura dressed in all black clothes contrary to the bright red and green colours surrounding her. Even her face was glum as her messy hair shadowed her sunken eyes. Unlike her usual self, she hadn't spoken a single word throughout their journey.
Tom was never the one to talk much. Thus, they didn't exchange any words except the necessary ones. So far, the trip for Christmas shopping was a failure in cheering up Leo.
"How about that store?" Tom asked hesitantly. Leo gave a light shrug in response making him sigh.
They walked into a bright looking gift shop. Tom went completely blank as his eyes swept over all the bright looking products. He gulped in order to get rid of his confused expression and started walking foreward with fake confidence.
He stopped in front of a shelf where other boys his age were gathered around. It was a shop for muggles therefore there was no magical item which made things even more difficult for him to understand.
He picked up a strange looking glass vial with bluish liquid swirling inside of it. He turned back to see whether Leo was watching him or not but the girl was busy glaring at a bunch of children screaming their lungs out.
He looked back at the strange item in his hand once again. He decided to open the lid out of curiosity. There was a small button like contraption on top of it. Without thinking much, the boy pushed it down only to get sprayed with a very strong perfume straight into his eyeballs.
He hissed out in pain, grabbing Leo's attention. The girl watched as he rubbed his eyes furiously. She shook her head from side to side in disappointment.
The perfume bottle was snatched out of his hand by Leo. She shoved it back into the shelf and pushed Tom out of the place to another section.
That particular section was filled with bizarre looking toys. Few of them looked like it could kill people. They quickly walked around and and went straight out of the exit. Tom could feel the shopkeeper glare at him.
Tom sighed yet again.
His sharp eyes schemed the entire market to find any shop that would grab her attention. A few blocks away, quite a lot of people were lined in front of an expensive looking shop. Every now an then, a bright flash would lighten up the curtained place as if thunder was striking inside.
He wanted to explore it a little bit.
He grabbed Leo's hand and started guiding her towards the odd looking shop. Leo's eyes fell on their intertwined fingers but she didn't make any attempt to break free.
They joined the line behind a very excited looking couple, probably newlyweds. Tom's nose scrunched up after seeing their lovey-dovey expressions and sweet words that were being thrown at each other.
He soon realised that the entire queue was filled with couples only. Maybe there were a few with their children as well but they were couples nonetheless.
Tom didn't know whether it was a very good idea to stay there much longer. He decided to turn around but as soon as he did, he noticed more people had lined up behind him and Leo.
When he started pulling Leo out of the line, the old couple that was standing right behind them stopped him, "Where are you going, boy? Wouldn't you love to click a picture with your lover as well?"
Tom and Leo glanced at the old lady in confusion. Their gaze shifted to their intertwined hands and they immediately let go of each other.
"We are not-"
"She is-"
Both Tom and Leo spoke up at the same time trying to deny their assumption. But neither of them got to finish as their words got stuck in their throats. Doubtful expression shadowed over both of their faces.
"Oh we all have been in that place, deary. You must keep a memory. A moment like this might never come again," the old man insisted with a sweet smile.
Tom struggled to find a correct response. However, Leo looked deep in thought once again. Tom glanced down at her when he felt her grabbing his hands once again.
"Go on now," the old lady waved at them to move forward. Tom frowned and turned back to see that they were up next. He was sure that there were at least a dozen people lined up before him.
Nonetheless, he pulled Leo inside the expensive looking photography studio. Two men welcomed them with a Cheshire grin. The room was brightly lit and any light coming from outside was blocked by thick curtains.
"Come, come! Oh, such a lovely couple," the man holding a camera exclaimed grabbing Tom's attention. The second man guided Tom and Leo towards the main studio where several lights were pointed at them making Tom's eyes burn.
"Okay, now come closer you two. There is no need to feel shy," the photographer instructed.
Before Tom could make a move, Leo stepped closer to him. She circled her hands around his right arm making him glance down at her. Contrary to her actions, her face held a look of urgency.
"Wonderful! Now give me your best smile. Don't get startled by the flash," the man warned with an extra cheerful voice.
However, neither of them attempted to smile. Tom shifted a bit closer to the girl so that he could ask her if everything was alright.
"We need to leave," Leo spoke up for the first time in a while. She looked around in panic but her eyes didn't stop at anything in particular. Tom could feel her slightly shaking beside him. He tightened his grasp on her in order to provide some sort of comfort.
"What happened?" He whispered back and a bright flash of light illuminated the entire studio for a second before disappearing. Leo hissed in pain and for a moment when she couldn't see anything. Tom rubbed his eyes furiously in order to get his vision back.
"Marvelous! Another one. Look into eachother eyes and show how much you care," the photographer praised loudly as of he was creating some kind of master piece.
They did look into eachother eyes, but not for the same reason as the photographer had said.
"I don't know. I feel like something is not right," Leo responded as another flash lit up the studio. Tom had worry written all over his face. He stared into Leo's brown orbs like it was the last time he would see them.
It was simply too soon for something to happen. He almost lost her and it took a miracle to get her back. He didn't want to loose her again. Not when she needed him the most.
"They will be ready to take by today evening! A special offer for you two," the owner clapped which made Tom look away from Leo.
He nodded and handed the payment before dashing out of the little shop with Leo right behind him.
"Did you see anything out of the ordinary?" Tom asked in a hurry as they literally ran towards the Riddle Manor.
"You didn't?!" Leo exclaimed in disbelief.
Tom pursed his lips in thought. He did notice quite a few odd events but didn't put much thought into it.
Tom and Leo were close enough to see the smoke coming out of the chimney of his house. As soon as they reached near the iron gates of the Riddle Manor, Leo barged in.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They entered through the huge wooden double doors. Tom's eyes schemed over the entire hall to notice if anything was even slightly out of order. Leo ventured further into the house, disappearing upstairs.
Tom walked inside the living room to see his father reading a book right before place. The older Riddle glance up at his son's arrival.
"I thought you were bringing the Christmas tree," Mr Riddle asked while closing his book shut. Tom nearly cringed when he saw that his father didn't even bother to mark the page he was in.
"Did anyone visit you while we were gone?"
Mr Riddle shook his head, "No. It's the holidays. Everyone is with their family. Although, we might have a few guests tomorrow-"
His words were interrupted by the sound of loud knocking coming from the main entrance. Tom immediately tensed up as his eyes travelled towards the set of stairs that lead upstairs. He contemplated whether he should stay with his father or Leo.
A few minutes of tensed silence passed between Mr Riddle and Tom. One of the maid had answered the door and was conversing with the unknown guests in hushed voices. Tom tried his very best to listen into the conversation but could barely make out anything.
The maid entered the living room after a while and Tom could immediately understand that something was certainly not right.
"Who is it?" Mr Riddle asked.
"I am not quite sure, sir. They claimed that they were from some secret organisation and is asking to meet you and your...uh...son," the maid stuttered out.
Both Tom and Mr Riddle exchanged a look of confusion as if asking eachother if they were aware of something.
Mr Riddle dismissed the maid and stood up on his feet. Both of them left the room in silence. Mr Riddle didn't want to invite his unexpected guest inside until he knew about their whereabouts.
Just outside the threshold, a few people stood in the middle cold winter morning. Tom stopped right behind his father eying the odd bunch with a narrowed gaze. They were dressed in long black clothes with huge hats that hid their eyes.
"How can I help you?" Mr Riddle asked cautiously. The small group of people were rather intimidating.
"Mr Riddle, we are here to help you. But our meeting is not with you, it's with your son," the man who was standing in the middle spoke while taking off his hat. All of their eyes fell on Tom who looked quite annoyed.
"What do you want?" Tom asked, not bothering with his manners.
"We are from the Ministry of Magic. Now, it would be better of we were to talk somewhere more private," the man said with a very fake grin. Tom's glare didn't falter.
Mr Riddle was about to invite them in but Tom cut him off, "I don't see any people around. This is as private as it can get."
The young boy pushed his father behind him and stood in face to face with the man.
"Very well. We have reports of a wizard and a witch who exposed our world to a Muggle. I'd assume that that Muggle is standing right behind you," the man from Ministry of Magic gestured toward Mr Riddle.
"I never performed any sort of magic in front of him. Technically, you are the one who mentioned about magic in front of him. Although, he was already aware of our existence several years ago in courtesy of a witch named Merope Gaunt. Even if that isn't enough to send you off, he is my father and he has all the rights to know what his son is," Tom concluded with a smug look on his face.
Instead of backing away, the man only nodded, "Very well said, young man. However, don't forget the fact that you are keeping away Miss Maybelle Wright away from her family."
Tom's breath got caught in his throat. The group of men standing in front of him parted away to reveal a couple standing at the very back. The lady was sobbing into her husband's shoulder. The man was glaring at time like he had committed some gruesome crime.
Tom knew who they were, he knew them quite well. His blood boiled at the pathetic sight of them. They were the one's who was ready to sell off Leo for money. They were the leeches who helped Grindelwald extract magic from Leo.
They had the audacity to show up in front of his eyes. Tom wasn't even sure if he would be able to control himself from tearing them apart.
"You two," Tom sneered, "You must have a death wish to show your face."
"Tom! What is going on?!" Mr Riddle couldn't help but raise his voice. He was utterly confused. Why would they claim that Leo was being kept away from her family when she said that she stayed alone?
"Not now," Tom snapped towards his father making the man frown.
"We would like to search your house, Mr Riddle," one of the Aurors spoke up.
"Maybelle is not here," Tom said and took a threating step towards the man.
"Then I don't see a problem to take a look around."
Tom was suddenly pushed back and one of the Aurors twisted his arm behind him before pressing him against the all. The man who was leading the group smiled in approval.
"Alright men, search every nook and corner. We must send her to where she belongs."
"Don't you dare," Tom groaned out. The Auror who was holding him twisted his hand harder making him grunt in pain.
"Wait, you cannot just barge into my house!"
"Mr Riddle, we only want what is the best for you. Keeping that girl away from her family is not a very noble deed," the man explained in a very sweet voice but his face looked quite threatening.
Tom was breathing heavily. The tips of his ears had turned red due to anger. He tried his best to pick up any kind of noise coming from upstairs but things were unusually silent.
He didn't know how many minutes had passed but it felt like hours when the Aurors finally appeared. They climbed down the stairs with sly grins on their faces. Tom struggled to look behind him as the man who was holding him pressed his face against the wall even harder.
"There she is!" The leader of the group exclaimed.
Tom became more and more restless as each seconds passed. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Leo was being led towards her adoptive parents. She showed no signs of struggle. Her face was hidden by the thick curtains of her wild hair.
"Let go of me!" Tom struggled yet again. He didn't know what came into the Auror's mind, he was suddenly released. He didn't wait and stumbled towards Leo.
"Why didn't you fight?" He asked through his teeth while holding Leo by her shoulder.
The girl looked up at him, her eyes were dull and emotionless. But for a split second, those warm brown orbs softened at the sight of Tom's distraught looking state. Yet, she didn't say a word.
"Maybelle, my daughter," Lena cried out making the girl focus her gaze upon the lady.
Tom watched as Leo broke away from his hold with little effort. She faced Mr Riddle who l was looking quite lost due to how fast things were escalating.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Mr Riddle. Make sure you fulfil your promise," she shot him a forced smile and turned towards Tom, "Thank you."
Her voice cracked due the emotions that she was holding back. Tom could only glare at the Aurors. He as well as Leo knew that they had no control of the situation. But Tom promised himself that he would save Leo, no matter what.
"I'll see you in Hogwarts," Tom nodded. It wasn't a simple statement, it was a promise. Leo nodded weakly in reply.
She turned around with all the energy that was in her body and faced her parents. When Helena came to hold her, she dodged away. She didn't want her filthy hands on her.
Tom watched as everyone slowly made their way out of the house. Leo didn't turn back. His jaw clenched to hold back a scream. He was tired of it. Just when things were finally going to calm down, another storm followed.
He always heard that after every storm there is a rainbow. Where was the rainbow in his story. It was was full of regrets and apologies. He could only think bitterly-
How many more good byes would he have to say before losing her forever?
A/N: This story is finally coming to an end.
Maybe....
Honestly I don't know if I should make it too long. Is it getting boring?
I need to know so please drop your thoughts. It really helps me to right more.
Anyways, a short chapter because things are about to go down.
Again.
Hope you all lovely people enjoyed reading it.