Its was 4.26am.
Exactly 8 hours since they had taken Tom.
The house had bestowed a ugly silence around it ever since that made Aurora feel suffocated. No matter what she did, opening windows, turn on the record player, talk out loud nothing could shake the wait of the quietness.
And so she lay awake alone in their bed staring up at the stitching on the canopy. The sun and the moon stitches stared down at her, they seemed to glare making her feel sick with guilt.
She turned on her side her hand falling to her stomach, a sign of comfort. It didnt matter how lonely she felt because she was never alone.
And she would never be alone again.
Her thoughts slowly delved into pregnancy anxiety. Now that Tom wasnt here Aurora had nothing to discard her from her darker thoughts, nothing to block out the unanswered questions.
Aurora had never really planned to be a mother so soon, she always thought she'd travel the world then settle down with someone when she was 35 or 36.
Not 20.
And she was scared. She never had a mother growing up, sure she had Caterina but her and her aunts bond was something more on the lines of unlikely friends than a mother daughter relationship.
She had no idea how to raise a baby or what to do or how to do it. She didnt know what to do when giving birth she didnt know how to breast feed. She was completely in the dark.
How could she take care of a child when she could barely take care of herself?
She couldnt be careless, or reckless or try anything drastic with a child though that never stopped her before while he grew in her stomach.
The nervousness began to over take her and she found her self feeling even more nauseated. So she tried to think of something nicer. Something that would chase the sickness away.
A hopeful part of her began to wonder if the hospital would heal Tom.
Originally sending Tom away was to stall his plans giving Aurora time to destroy them and beat his horrifying dreams to a pulp. But the doctor had seemed certain that he would be able to help Tom and give him the proffessional help her needs.
Now Aurora was not stupid, she knew Tom and she knew how stubborn he could be. There was no way in hell he would ever participate in the treatments willingly.
But she had hope still, Tom may have been stubborn but he was also clever maybe, maybe he could see that he really was delusional and ill, and he'd want to get rid of it.
And he would return home in 3 months time and be cured of his vile outlook on the world and his wickedness. And he'd come back to her the boy she had met when she was 15.
The brilliant boy who was top of his class and babbled about cows when he was drunk and secretly liked when she forced him to hold her hand in public, and was scared of frogs but would never admit it, and drew beautiful sketches, and was determined to prove to the world that no matter where he came from he would make something of himself, something fantastic.
The boy who desired her more than his undying quench for power.
She wondered what Tom would be like as a father. It was very challenging to picture Tom as a father he never possessed any sort of qualities a father is supposed to have.
Well, actually neither of them knew what kind of qualities a father is supposed to have.
So Aurora made assumptions, fun but also stern but not in a way that upsets a child, firm but fair, kind and caring and provides love and is trustworthy for a child to rely on.
Well Tom was none of those things.
But he was protective and knowledgable. Those where good traits right?
She tried to imagine Tom doing "fatherly things" like playing catch with his son. She grimaced at that thought it seemed so strange and unlike him it would put her on edge.
He'd be more likely to chuck a bomb at their son than a ball. Maybe she'd be lucky and her son would be more academic than athletic, though she hoped he would take a liking to quittich and follow in his mothers footsteps.
She smiled softly in the darkness at the thought of teaching her little boy how to play the sport. Her little boy. That felt nice, it felt nice to not feel completely alone.
Her mind began to dabble along at questions, would he have hazel eyes or green eyes? Would he be clever like his father or fiery like his mother? what would his Hogwarts house be?
She busied herself making up possible answers to her questions but one always lingered in the back of her mind. She bit her lip and looked down at her stomach rubbing it softly.
"Please dont be like your father... be good" she whispered.
《《《°•°•°○●○°•°•°》》
It took Aurora half an hour of staring at her coat jacket, trying to work up the courage to go over and fish out the crumbled piece of paper that she had stolen from Tom's room 3 nights ago when she had extracted the blood.
The words Plan C echoed in her head over and over digging at her curiosity. But she couldnt seem to take the step forward and grab it.
As much as she denied it she knew why she couldnt grab the piece of paper. A small part of her didnt want to see it. A small part of her was terrified it would be about her, it would be about her or her baby. And she couldnt bare to see it.
She knew her reasons where ridiculous, She stomped her feet angrily at her lack of gryffindor bravery and stormed from the room, she'd come back to it.
She walked quickly through the dark halls of the house till she came to the dark green door she was looking for that read on the sign above her head do not enter.
Her anger was still fizzing In her blood so she pointed her wand at the door and instead of a simple Alahmora, "reducto!" She shouted and the door exploded and the wood splintered around her as she stepped in through the hole in the door.
She stared round the office, it looked the same as before. Small, cramped, messy.
The suns ray's where streaming in through the only bay window in the room causing the metal ends of the quills on the desk to light up and dance around in the air.
She sighed loudly looking at all the sprawled paper work every where she was going to have to dig through the sea of white.
She grumbled but no matter how many pages there where it sidnt affect the determined gleam in her eye. She was going to find out what Tom was up to, she was going to find out and she was going to destroy it.
She walked in and started to the desk sitting down in the large leather chair and picking up the closest sheet.
Blank.
She turned it over confused.
Blank again.
She scrunched her eyebrows but put it down and picked up another.
Blank. And another.
Blank. And another.
Blank.
Blank blank blank blank.
They where all blank!
"What the fuck.." she muttered looking at the pure scroll of parchment in her hand turning it round and round.
Of course Tom would disguise his plans with some sort of protective charm. She set the paper down and pressed the tip of her wand to the surface.
"Reveal yourself" she whispered softly. She felt her stomach flip as she saw a sentence in the centre of the page begin to form in Toma familiar perfect cursive.
𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝔂, 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
Aurora gawked down at the page, how was it even in his absence he was still immensely aggravating? She sneered and the page and in a flash anger she pointed her wand at it again and with a small bang the parchment turned into thousand of piece like confetti scattering around her.
She sighed angrily and slumped back in the chair feeling defeated. Then a light bulb went off in her head, she raised her wand back up to her eye line than glanced down at the confetti like scraps of paper on the desk.
She smirked.
If she couldnt read it then he couldnt either. She stood up quickly now grinning wildly as she began going round the room pointing her wand at the piles of papers creating small explosions of parchment snow as she went.
The paper piles dissolved Into mounds of man made snowflakes flying around the room and piling up on the dusty furniture occupying it.
Aurora grinned menacingly in the ruined doorway staring at her master piece that was the chaos splayed across the room.
Oh how she loved it when Tom underestimated her.
《《《°•°•°○●○°•°•°》》
Aurora was in the library scanning through books that had been opened recently trying to find some sort of clue to what Tom had been up to when she heard the slam of the front door and murmuring of voices coming from the hallway.
She slowly let the old dusty book in her hand be placed on the table and slowly her hand crept to her pocket pulling g put her wand as she quietly edged out of the library down the hallways to the entrance of the manor.
"He hasnt made any contact all.of last night or today! Something has to be wrong Tom doesnt just take breaks the man is a control freak for Gods sake" the voice Domminc said frustratedly.
Aurora almost felt guilty for a moment for not informing the obviously anxious women of where Tom was. She was aware Tom and Dommincs acquaintance stretched beyond just beliefs. They had met after Hogwarts and she knew the girl had grown a sort of strange platonic attachment to Tom, Tom simply let her believe he felt the same sort of attachment to her, yet his was completely self efficient. To recuite her and make her a loyal follower.
That's what he did to many of his followers, appealed to their vulnerable aides, offering aid and compassion then left them clinging onto him.when he began to ignore them again, desprate for a glimpse of his attention again to make them feel wanted.
A prime example was Bellatrix Black, the disappointment of her family. The crazed daughter the off tail of the incest in the generations of Black was what the rumours said and made her mother glance at her with a disgusted glare in her eye.
Then along comes Tom, he worshipped her made her feel wanted, made her feel loved. He made her believe she was worth something that she could do something, something that would make her family writhe with jealousy.
It was safe to say Tom Riddle was very cruel, even to the cruellest of people.
"Donni calm down he's probbaly just with Aurora or something he wouldnt just leave" Evan tried to provide some sort of relief.
"I agree with Donni, this isnt like Tom" Antonin murmured even he was starting to grow anxious, without Tom what would he be? The drunken disgrace of the Dolohov name?
"Auroras got something to do with it... I know it" Lucius said suspiciously.
"Darling let's not jump to conclusions, Auroras been going through a lot right now not to mention the baby. I highly doubt she is capable of something that drastic" Narcissa said placing a hand on her husbands shoulder.
Aurora decided her best approach was to play into Narcissas idea, act dumb. She came walking out with a bright smile her wand hidden behind her back her other hand placed on her stomach.
"Um hi, I wasn't expecting you's today Tom said there was no meetings today because of his recovery" Aurora said her charismatic smile came easily to her face.
Narcissa came first out of the group of people staring at her suspiciously. "Oh my god Aurora your practically glowing darling! You look great and the baby seems to be growing healthily" Narcissa said kindly giving her friend a gentle hug.
Aurora squeezed Narcissa back soflty looking over her shoudler she saw Lucius glaring daggers at her, his arms crossed over his body his eyes hard as stone.
Aurora raised an eye brow at him as if it was a challenge, a staring contest. In the end her eyes dragged across the group everyone else looked slightly anxious though they tried to hide it.
Aurora looked at the back of the group where Regulus and Eric loitered they looked the most nervous, but what Aurora didnt know it wasnt because of their missing lord.
Narcissa released her and took a step back smiling, "youll have to come and visit me and Draco some day soon, Donni has been visiting with Blaise a few times" she said with a bright smile.
Aurora nodded opening her mouth to respond politely but she was cut off with the not so polite Mr Malfoy.
"Wheres Tom?" He demanded. Aurora looked at him with an innocent expression that came easy to her "he told me he had to go out to retrieve paper work from the ministry" she said with a smile that made Lucius uneasy.
He stepped forward infront of his wife and towards Aurora threateningly. "Thats Eric's job, he deals with matters to do with the ministry" Lucius said trying to catch her out of her lie.
"Well I guess this must be very important then for him to go in person" Aurora sneered taking a step towards Lucius.
He scowled at her "I dont believe you" he spat. Aurora shrugged "I dont really care" she said smiling mockingly.
Her eyes widened ever so slightly when she looked down and realized Lucius was now holding his wand the top aimed in the middle of her chest.
The group gasped slightly "stop get away from her you sick bastard!" Regulus shouted storming forward but Lucia grabbed him in time stopping him from causing a bigger argument.
"Lucius she's pregnant!" Lucia called trying to keep Regulus at bay.
"Lucius she's carrying Tom's heir put the wand away" Evan cried anxiously.
Lucius's cold crystal eyes didnt leave Auroras. The cool green flashed against the ice like spring fighting off the winters frost.
"Do it" she whispered. "Lucius stop being stupid put the wand away!" Eric called "Honey please stop being irrational!" Narcissa begged.
"Do it" she repeated smirking as she saw the muscles in his jaw tick behind his skin with anger his knuckles turning white against the wood of the wand.
"Do it and see what happens when you kill the dark lords wife and unborn child. Do it." She threatened.
Lucius breathed heavily through his nose in frustration and took a step back lowering his wand.
"That's right Malfoy... I'm untouchable" she taunted her fake innocence melted away in an instant.
"What did you do?" He growled angrily. Aurora laughed but her voice lacked any kind of humor. "What you where all to scared to do, cowards" she seethed.
The group looked at each other frantically panick in their eyes but Eric and Regulus kept their eyes glued to the ground, Aurora could see just behind Erics body as he was standing slightly infront of Regulus that he was holding tightly onto Regulus's finger.
"Aurora... tell us where Tom is" Lucia said, her voice was calm yet still rigged with anxiety. Aurora raised her chin higher in the air, "I'll tell you where he is" she said and the group let out a deep breath.
Eric and Regulus's head shot up fear striking across their features. "But first you must do something for me" she said.
They looked at each other skeptic ally "alright, what is it?" Domminc asked curiously. Aurora paused, just for dramatic effect she liked having them dangling by a thread.
"Go to the library... I'll be down in a moment" she said as she began to climb the stairs.
When she entered the library she saw the group Lounging around the large oak table at the end of the room.
Lucia was tapping her fingers anxiously against the wood a few took to pacing the room as Evan bit his nails. Aurora could see just behind the group Regulus and Eric sitting on the leather seats alone whispering secretly to each other. Regulus was holding onto Eric's hands speaking seriously while Eric looked like her was on the border line of a panic attack.
She cleared her throat as she walked towards them all eyes landed on her frantically. The eyes dragged down to the small object she was holding wrapped in linen cloth so it was shielded from their eyes.
She set the object down on the table with a cringing thud then beckoned them to come and see. Hestiantly the group made there way around the table gazing down at the piece of cloth eagerly.
Their eyebrows scrunched together in confusion when Aurora lifted the cloth revealing the brick from the wreckage that was once her childhood home, the brick was covered in a thick dried sort of transparent goo.
The group peered at the brick puzzled as Aurora stepped back crossing her arms glaring at them. "Any ideas what it is?" She asked.
Lucius and Evan looked at each other then back at her shaking their heads. "What is this shit? Dried alien goo?" Antonin asked tapping his finger on the surface.
"Maybe it's some sort of cement" Domminc requested shrugging. "Look none of us Know Blossom so just tell us where Tom is" Lucius said tiredly stepping forward towards her.
"Oh yeah nice try Malfoy" Aurora spat as he edged threateningly towards her his face contorted in anger. He half expected Aurora to back up as he drew so closer his hot frustrated breaths where cascading down onto her nose as he loomed over her intimidatingly. But she stood her ground glaring up at him venemously.
Lucia could hear there distant squabble in the background as she concentrated on the block, arguing like a pair of 12 years olds.
"Tell us where Tom is" "Oh is this what your trying to do now?" "Do what?" "Crowd around me? Trying to seem all big and scary?" "Well I am way taller than you" "your literally like an inch taller cause of your hair" "more like 6" "oh yeah? Who tells you that? Narcissa?" "Now your just trying to avoid the question and insult me" "maybe I am what are you going to do about it Barbie?"
Lucia turned behind her at them her short hair swishing in her face and she scowled.
"Will you too kindly shut the fuck up and stop acting like snotty 1st years and have a bit of dignity?" She hissed. Both Lucius and Aurora looked stricken as if they where children who where being told off.
"Thank you. Jesus christ" she mumbled turning back to the brick infront of her studying the glue like substance.
"Do you know something?" Aurora asked eagerly peering over her shoulder to see if she had spotted anything.
"Where did you find this?" Lucia murmured picking up the brick to inspect it closer. Aurora moistened her lips before she spoke the topic often made her nervous so her throat went dry.
"I um... I found it at the wreckage where my parents used to live" she muttered.
"What, did they move or something?" Lucius asked boredly leaning against the table.
Regulus, Antonin and Lucia all gave him piercing looks."They died in a fire Einstein" She retorted sourly not bothering to watch as he paled even more from his normal fair complexion choking out an apology.
Lucia stared at the brick a little longer. "Regulus do me a favour and put out the candles and close the curtains" Lucia said soflty.
Regulus did as asked and with a wisk of his wand the room was submerged into a deep darkness.
Aurora watched Lucia warily as she took a step back dragging her with her and pointed her wand at the hazy outline of the brick.
"litteræ, insidiatoris revelare" she whispered and Aurora watched in amazement as a pale every red wisp leaked out of Lucia's wand surrounding the brick like a gust of wind.
She gasped as the gas seemed to be taken in by the stone and the goo like substance began to shine a blinding red glow filling up the room with its ominous crimson shadows.
Slowly the light began to die down and Lucia reopened the curtains looking more anxious than she had before.
Aurora gaped at her her jaw had gone slack as she marvelled at the now plain brick that had just shine like a blood beacon.
she looked around to see if anyone else was amazed but there faces looked grim and pitiful.
"What the hell was that all about?" She asked them desprate to be let in on why they where staring at her as if she was an abandoned puppy.
Lucia set sighed but spoke first. "Aurora... you are a pureblood right?"
"Yes...". Lucia bit her lip "and where your parents ever considered...'modern purebloods' " she asked quietly making a tight knot of a sick feeling tighten in Auroras stomach.
"Yes. why?" Lucia paused shaking her head soflty. Narcissa who was standing behind Lucia came up with a sympathetic smile and placed a warm hand on either one of the women shoulders.
"I'll go make some tea" she said soflty.
Aurora watched her leave curiously. "Whats going on? Will someone please tell me why your are all staring at me like I'm a pitiful child?" Aurora snapped as Regulus came up behind her slipping her hand into his.
"Come on Rory, come sit down yeah and we'll explain everthing alright? Promise" she turned to her right looking Into Regulus's warm brown eyes that she knew to be pools of genunitiy.
All she could see was pity. And she despised pity. But she let Regulus lead her over to the soft armchair behind her pulling her down beside him.
Lucia, Evan and Domminc followed with Lucius and Antonin leant against the back of the table. Even lucius was looking at her with sympathy.
"Tell me what's going on!" She protested trying to stand up but Regulus brought her back down rubbing his thumb along her knuckles gently as he whispered sweet assurances to her to try and calm her down.
"Maybe we shouldn't tell her, the shock could be bad for the baby" Lucius suggested but in reality he was just scared of what her reaction was going to be and if it would put him in danger.
Auroras head and wand shot towards him like a greyhound on the hunt. "If you value your legs you will tell me what the hell your all on about" Aurora growled causing Lucius to gulp.
Lucia sighed running her fingers through her hair "its complicated Aurora" She muttered.
"Then uncomplicate it" Aurora said angrily moving to the edge of her seat scraping at the arms as Regulus tried to calm her down again.
"Its not that simple" Domminc said gently. Aurora gritted her teeth "will someone please just tell me" she sneered.
Lucia gulped again looking down at her palms. "Luci I'll do it if you want you dont have to-"
"no Reg I'll tell her" Lucia said firmly looking back up to stare Aurora in the eyes.
"The fire was'nt an accident".
Auroras heart dropped. The pumping organ seemed to freeze as if It had just been thrown Into the coldest waters of the artic turning the warm blood into thick crimson icicles sinking into the sides of her skin as it fell. Aurora stared at her stunned her mouth was quivering slightly as she sucked in a breath.
"What...what do you mean? What the fuck are you talking about!" She yelled standing up.
"Rory" Regulus hushed her pulling her back down, he could feel the waves of confusion and panick washing over her creating a suffocating bubble around her.
Lucia bit her lip gazing at Aurora with pity swirling in her deep brown eyes.
"Aurora... theres a reason that the term modern purebloods....died out" she muttered slowly.
Aurora watched her with wide eyes like she was on the edge of something, the anticipation was killing her. Lucia took in a hard shaking breath.
"a while ago, when modern purebloods where more common... the more traditional purebloods in the community began to fear that these types of purebloods where... diluting the pureblood belief and influencing other families that accepting muggleborns was okay."
She sucked in a breath as her eyes fell from Auroras to the floor as if she felt sick with guilt.
"So... they came together as a group, and-and decided it would be best to... exterminate them"
Auroras grip on Regulus's hand tightened like a python around its prey her wide glass like eyes glued on Lucia as she squirmed nervously under her gaze.
"A series of murders where arranged targeting families that held this belief... the Blossoms must have been one"
Aurora stood up quickly though her legs where shaking and Regulus stood up beside her to keep her balanced.
"No..." was all she was able to croak.
"The gel was placed on the sides of houses that where open modern Purebloods, so... so that when the 'assassins'came around at night they could mutter the spell and the gel would light up...showing... showing g who was going to die..."
"No!" Aurora shouted trying to lunge at Lucia but Regulus quickly trapped her in his arms trying to pull her away as he muttered for her to calm down.
"No! No your families did this? You did this to me! The- the bullshit you believe in is why- why there dead!" She screamed her eyes where a blaze her tears fell off her cheeks like fire and everyone had taken as step back.
Lucia looked away from her guilty. "Look at me! Look at me you coward! You... you know your wrong that this is wrong and you still- you still let him get away with it!" She seethed as Regulus tried to turn her toward the door but she broke free elbowing him in the ribs and shot a hex at Domminc and Antonin but he shielded her pushing her out of the way.
"Your the reason their dead! Your murders! Murders all of you!" Regulus finally dragged her to the door where Narcissa was cowering in the corner looking at Auroras furious expression with a mix of guilt horror and pity.
"Fuck you all and fuck your sick parents and sick incest families!" She screeched her voice becoming hoarse as Regulus pulled her through the doorway.
"Aurora that's enough" he hissed softly pushing her past Narcissa. Auroras eyes locked in the blonde and she smashed her hand down in the tray she was holding filled with tea causing it to fall and splash all over the floor with burning steam as Narcissa let out a terrified shriek.
"Rot in Hell you... you..." Regulus's patients was wearing through and he gave her a harder shove.
"ANIMALS!" She yelled over her shoulder as Regulus slammed her door behind him.
Hey guysss
Sorry for the longer wait still trying to find the motivation to wrote plus I'm.on holidays so I dont have much time but I hope this chapter was okay. Ps I'm trying to go through my work and correct it cause I've noticed theres a lot of mistakes
Love you all
~Lizzie <3