Tom paused when he saw her.
He watched her light up the cigarette, take a drag, and exhale the smoke. His confusion and disgust were evident as he eyed the thing in her hand.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and disdain.
Arabella met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. "Just enjoying a smoke. Care for one?" she offered, holding the pack towards him.
Tom recoiled slightly. "I'd rather not die by making such stupid choices."
She shrugged, taking another drag. "To each their own."
He scowled at her disapprovingly. "That cigarette is a killing machine, you know. It weakens you, ruins your lungs, destroys you from inside out. Unless you want to age quicker, I suggest you burn that entire packet."
"Relax Tom, I have no intention of dying... yet. You should know that." Her eyes taunted him with a playful glint.
Tom's eyes narrowed. "How long have you been standing there?"
Arabella blew out a plume of smoke before responding casually, "Not long. Just long enough to witness your little discussion with Slughorn."
Tom's suspicion flickered across his face. Of course she had stayed back when she saw he hadn't come out. "And?"
"You got the confirmation you needed, didn't you?"
He didn't respond. All his hunger and excitement from earlier had diminished like a flame doused by a splash of water.
Arabella smirked, the cigarette dangling from her gloved fingers. "So, when are you going to do it?"
"That's none of your business," he answered quickly. His expression, though, remained guarded.
Arabella scoffed, her irritation rising. "I'm by your side in all your plans, remember? I should know everything."
Tom's mind raced. Her assertion irked him. Control was slipping through his fingers, and he despised the feeling of being observed, analysed. He needed to flip it around.
"How can you say that? You somehow figured out everything about me, my past. You know all about my plans, but I know next to nothing about you! Tell me, Chambers. Tell me how you survived the killing curse, tell me how you know so much about me, tell me why you're so powerful," he demanded.
Arabella pushed herself off the wall and began walking away, but Tom wasn't done. He caught up to her, yelling, "Chambers you cannot expect me to confide in you like a partner when you tell me nothing of yourself. Every mention of immortality disgusts you, yet you are immortal. Or you are not and you just figured out how to survive an unforgivable curse. I wouldn't know, though, because you won't tell me!"
Arabella stoped walking and faced Tom. "Oh, shut up about the partners thing, Tom. You and I both know the only reason you have appointed me that title is because I am too powerful to be against you and too powerful to be killed." At Tom's slight surprise, she smiled. "Oh, darling, we've discussed this too many times. Don't be surprised I know everything."
Tom didn't say anything. She was right, he should have known.
"Don't fret, dear, I'm not leaving your side."
This surprised Tom even further, but instead his eyebrows furrowed, and his voice took on a sharp edge as he asked, "Oh, why is that?"
Arabella sighed. "Okay, fine. You demand to know more about me, I'll tell you."
•••
"Guess it is my turn to talk here," Arabella remarked, recalling the last time she and Tom had had a similar conversation in the exact same positions, in the exact same room. Last time Tom had been the one explaining, discussing his plans and Arabella had been the one asking the questions.
Tom irritably demanded her to go on. She sighed. "Let me get comfortable, darling." Arabella took her stilettos off and tucked her legs underneath, seated in the plush green chair in the Room of Requirements. She slid her black, elbow length gloves off and instantly felt the warm heat of the green-enchanted fire, its crackles filling the room with a comfortable air.
"Let me make one thing clear, Tom," Arabella began, her voice steady. "I am not hear because I foolishly believe the manipulation you sing out of your mouth. I don't believe a second of it, but quite frankly, I do not blame Slughorn, or anyone really, for falling under your spell of charm. You do it quite well, I must say. If you hadn't killed the entire Riddle family in front of me, and then proceeded to kill me, I probably would've been one of them."
One corner of Tom's mouth lifted up. "It's not manipulation, Arabella - it's persuasion."
Arabella shook her head. "Whatever the fuck it is, I don't care. I'm not blinded by it," she said, waving her hand in the air carelessly. "Anyways, on with my story. You may or may not remember the spell I casted on you. You know, the one where you bled on the floor and shook like a fish out of water." She leaned in closer and whispered, "It's hard to forget."
Tom clenched his jaw. "This is very off topic."
Arabella rolled her eyes. "I'm getting to it. Be patient, dear." She paused, making sure Tom was ready. "Well, you may also recall how I accidentally, maybe on purpose, let it slip that the spell was originally meant for Albus. And it was. You see, Albus Dumbledore ruined my life. He did something unforgivable and now I absolutely despise him. We share that mutual disdain, Tom. I joined you because I can tell that you are going to be successful in making your horcruxes. And, no, I am not a seer, but there is something about you that drew me in. Your power, your hunger."
She watched as Tom lifted his chin up, evident pride flowing through his body. Arabella really did not want to feed into his ego, but he needed to know this. "Albus can sense it too, dear. Ever since that day I visited him in his office, I could tell what he thought of you, and-"
"-What day? You talked about me to him?" Tom interrupted, frustrated.
Arabella sighed. "Fine," she admitted. "Yes, I asked him about you. He told me about your childhood and your time at Hogwarts."
Surprise and irritation flickered across his face and he leaned closer to Arabella angrily. "And he told this to you? Willingly? You asked him about me and he just, what, gave you my personal life story?"
"I told you, darling, we have a past, which is none of your business," Arabella said to him, stopping any reply Tom had. "As I was saying," she continued, "I could immediately tell what Albus Dumbledore thought of you, and I could tell what he wanted me to do with the information he had just given me.
He probably thought I was asking about you because he knows that I know that you are a... threat. Maybe he thinks I will stop you, convince you otherwise. But I am not that type of person anymore. And, he doesn't know how big your plans are, Tom." Arabella gave him a wide smile. "He has his suspicions, but he doesn't have evidence. Also, he is far too lazy to do any useful damage."
She paused, her eyes locking with Tom's. "He doesn't know how much of a threat you really are. He's leaving you be, thinking you're just another ambitious wizard. He underestimates you, and that is where he is wrong. So, I joined you because when the time comes, there will only be Albus's side and Your side.
You better not have been lying when you said you would be ready. I have no intention of siding with Dumbledore. I know that he will spin some excuse, try and convince me to join him for the good of the Wizarding World, but I don't fucking care about the Wizarding World. I don't wish to be anywhere near him or help him with anything. All I want is to destroy him, and if that means siding with you, so be it."
Tom's eyes narrowed as he processed Arabella's revelation. The weight of her words hung in the air, and intrigue pulsed through him.
"How do you know it will be Dumbledore who is against me?" Tom finally asked, his voice a low, measured tone.
She leaned back, a smirk playing on her lips. "Tom, Dumbledore is predictable. He sees anyone with ambition and power as a threat. He wants control, and you threaten that control. He's waiting for the right moment to manipulate someone into doing his dirty work. He won't directly confront you until he deems it the perfect time. When that moment arrives, I'll be here to make sure that he faces someone who knows his weakness, someone who can exploit them."
Tom couldn't deny the allure of having someone on his side who held such hate for Albus Dumbledore. However, caution lingered in his thoughts. "How do I know you're not just feeding me lies? How would you even know him personally? You just arrived here... it doesn't add up."
Arabella observed Tom's calculating gaze. His distrust was obvious, and she couldn't blame him. Trust was a currency more valuable than gold, and she had just tossed her lot into the high-stakes game.
So, she crafted a lie, weaving it seamlessly into her narrative. "My mother knew him. She was involved in certain circles where Dumbledore's influence reached. I spent a lot of time around him, and then... he betrayed me and ruined my life. I couldn't do anything then, but now..." Arabella's gaze lingered on the shelves of books behind Tom. "When I had the chance to come to Hogwarts and confront you, it almost seemed like fate."
Tom explored her face, looking for anything that would prove she is lying. All he saw, though, was sorrow and revenge. So, he came to the only conclusion he could find. "Did he kill your mother?"
He recalled the conversation they had after their duel a few weeks ago. Tom had asked her if Dumbledore had done anything to her family and Arabella didn't deny it, but she didn't confirm it either. She had said they were all dead. So, this was probably the only logical conclusion.
A subtle smile played on Arabella's lips. Tom's assumption actually benefited her story, so she played along. "Something like that," she replied, allowing only a hint of sadness to touch her voice.
Tom's gaze hardened, and Arabella knew she had successfully painted the picture she wanted him to see. "Justice, revenge, call it what you will," she continued, her eyes locking onto Tom's. "I couldn't save my mother then, but I won't let Dumbledore live without consequences. He should've known better than to cross me. He always knew how powerful I was..."
Tom didn't answer, a silence stretching between them. He didn't know whether to trust her yet. She still hadn't told him how she survived the killing curse.
"Tom," Arabella spoke, somehow reading his thoughts, "you've seen my power. I've seen yours. I fully believe how successful you are going to be. Why not trust me and we can ruin Albus together?"
"I still don't understand why you would choose to ally with me," Tom said, his tone contemplative. "If you despise Dumbledore so much, why not confront him directly?"
Arabella's eyes gleamed with a hidden fire, and a predatory smile curved on her lips. "Confronting him directly is too predictable, too... ordinary. I want to dismantle him in ways he won't see coming, make him question everything he thought he knew. I want to betray him, just like he betrayed me, and prove him right – that I am a monster, willing to do anything to get what I want, with no remorse for others."
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "Dumbledore prides himself on his morality, his belief in the inherent goodness of people. And what better way to shatter that illusion than by helping you succeed?"
Arabella's gaze bore into Tom's, seeking confirmation in the depths of his eyes. They glowed green from the flames, illuminating his thoughts churning within, but there was still one issue haunting him.
"You still haven't told me how you survived the killing curse. How can I be sure to trust you when you still dance around the core of what I truly want to know. Trust is a two way thing, Chambers, and I have already revealed all my plans. It's your turn."
Arabella leaned back in her chair. She knew it would not be this easy, but she couldn't reveal her vampirism yet. She needed more time, more trust. And luckily for Arabella, she had all the time in the world. And soon, Tom would too. He just needed to trust her.
"I have already shared more than I intended to, dear. I promise you, Tom, I will tell you everything. I have a plan, but I need to trust that you will place me beside you, not only in title, but in power."
Tom pursed his lips slightly. "You need time. You're looking for the right moment... You claim to hate Dumbledore, yet you are just like him."
Arabella wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I am nothing like him. He called me a monster, I will become a monster. I will ruin him, but I need your help, Tom. When the time is right, I promise you, in blood and in bones, that I will tell you everything you need to know. Trust me, please."
Tom sighed, thinking of her proposition. Placing her beside him in power, and getting an ally to destroy a possible, future enemy. He didn't like this agreement. He needed more to gain.
"Ridding muggles is my true goal, Chambers. I can't just agree to this with the knowledge that you are only here to ruin Dumbledore while I am giving you the means and opportunity. What do I get in return other than an ally to destroy an enemy that may or may not even become one?"
This. Arabella was ready for this. She knew Tom wouldn't agree so easily. Arabella did not really believe in the ridding of muggles, or muggleborns. Sure, muggles had destroyed her life, but wizards had done that too, had they not? She did not care if someone was muggle or wizard, she only sought to discover if they were a horrible person or not, a godawful human. After all, wizard or muggle, they would be sent to Hell either way. They were both humans in the end.
She didn't want to agree in helping him kill innocent people. Arabella may have been a blood-thirsty, murdering vampire, but she wasn't that cruel.
But Arabella wasn't weak. She also did not care in the lives of others. Death was a gift she did not have, and humans should be grateful for it. Death was a mercy bestowed upon the living, and she wouldn't hesitate to deliver it.
"I may not share your goal of ridding the world of muggles, but I understand your desire for power. And I'll stand by you, I'll help you where necessary. I'm not useless."
She paused and then added with a hint of challenge in her voice, "But if you're not willing to trust me, to see the value I bring to the table, then perhaps we have nothing more to discuss." Arabella leaned forward, her eyes locked onto Tom's, waiting for his response, her confidence unwavering.
Tom took his time to think about it. He didn't really need her to achieve his plans, but if she was right, that good-for-nothing professor will get in his way. She knew his weaknesses... somehow. Her plan relied on trust, which Tom didn't like. But she would tell him everything he needed to know. And he really needed to know how she survived an Unforgivable Curse, and if she could survive the others. Killing her wasn't an option either, so...
he agreed.
•••
a.n. i hate this chapter. sorry it's so boring and long 💕