"Avery-"
Tom was cut off as a fist collided with his nose. Staggering back slightly, his eyes started to water even though it didn't hurt that much. He knew his nose wasn't broken, but it was definitely bleeding.
Cain stood there, his chest heaving and was completely ignoring the ache in his knuckles. He made to lunge for him again, but Tom got hold of his arms and twisted enough to make him stop.
"Your greed blinded you. We shouldn't have gone back, especially so soon and now she's- my- Rosie is dead and it's your fault." Cain punctuated his claim by shoving Tom the best he could, though his movements were a bit weaker this time.
After a few seconds he glanced back at his sister and another sob broke from him, he fell against Tom, taking him down to the floor. Tom's mind was reeling, both with still trying to process what happened and how to deal with Cain's mental break.
He needed to get hold of the situation and quickly, or else Cain would spiral and be of no use. Placing his hands on the side of Cain's face, Tom pressed his forehead against his.
"Look at me."
Bitter coffee brown eyes poured into Cain's, and for a moment he thought he would either kill him for appearing so weak or delve into his mind. Maybe both.
"Your sister is dead."
Cain clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut but Tom shook him slightly, "hey, look at me. She's dead, okay? And I'm sorry, I am. I know you're angry, and you want to avenge her. And you should, she deserves it."
Reaching over, Tom took hold of Rosie's arm, "but if you want to avenge your sister, we need to go after those responsible."
Cain took a shuddering breath and willed himself to look at Rosie, taking in the mark of Grindelwald and those dreadful words. Tom observed the boy for a moment before he pressed a finger to Cain's chest, "all that pain, take hold of it, concentrate it, aim it true. That's the only way you're going to keep yourself going."
He nodded, but Tom couldn't ignore the tears in Cain's eyes, they were also puffed and swollen, it's like they inflated. Tom patted the side of his head before standing up. "Do your parents know?"
Cain sniffed, slowly he got up and walked over to his sister, carefully lifting her body to rest her on the couch, "I don't know."
Tom turned his gaze to the others, "how'd she get here?"
"I found her lying in front of the fireplace in one of the rooms down the hall, the door was cracked open." Aleksander said and Tom pinched his nose, a slight sliver of panic shooting through him. "So they know where we're staying," he concluded.
Rubbing at his eyes, the group shared glances. They've never seen Tom Riddle so stressed.
"We need to get out of here," Delilah said for him once she realized his was already lost in his mind. "As soon as possible."
"What are we gonna," Cain took a shaking breath, "... what are we going to do about Rosie?"
"She'll have a proper burial." Aleksander told him, walking over and placing a hesitant hand on his friends shoulder. Lolita wiped away her tears and took hold of Cain's hand, "c'mon, love."
There was a pained smile on his face as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to his little sisters forehead.
_____________________________
They had floo'd to the Leaky Cauldron a few hours earlier, none brave enough to leave their rooms or did they have the energy.
Delilah has been sitting in the window sill for Merlin knows how long, her legs had fallen asleep but she didn't mind. At some point Tom walked in, holding a bowl of soup for her.
"You need to eat."
She ignored him, "she was just a child."
Setting the soup down, he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the bed post, not sure what to do with himself or if she wanted to be touched. This was all new to him.
"War always comes to someone else...usually the innocent."
Delilah bit at her cheek and turned towards him, "Cain's right, we shouldn't have gone back, not so soon."
"We can't change what happened."
She snickered.
Tom sighed slightly and ran a hand through his hair, "you blame me?"
"No," pulling her eyes away from him, she ran a finger along the rusted edge of the window. "Yes... I don't know."
He sat down next to her, elbows on his knees as he pressed his palms to his eyes, he pressed so hard until multicolored dots appeared in his vision. "I'm having difficulty not blaming myself."
Her brows slightly furrowed at how odd she found this entire situation before she shook her head. Voldemort's killed thousands of children without a second thought, he was even going to kill Harry as a baby. He had no remorse
Tom however looked like he was on the verge of collapsing.
"There's such permanence in death." He thought out loud and Delilah sat quietly, the echo of his soft voice seemed to make her vibrate. "She was eight, nearly nine. So much ahead of her, so much life. She never even got to go to Hogwarts, never got her wand, her robes, not sorted into a house..."
He leaned back, his weight making the glass pane of the window creak, his eyes zoned out. "Did you know she called me her brother once?" A slight laugh left him. "I never wanted siblings, never cared for thought but, I didn't mind her calling me that."
There was a pause, and Delilah was suddenly seeing a different person in front of her. Of course he was still Tom Riddle, but was this really what was buried so deep beneath the surface? Actual, genuine, emotion.
"I would've been proud to have her as a little sister."
Delilah hesitantly raised an arm, not knowing if he wanted to be touched, but he didn't pull back so she looped it with his, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"I did this."
She shook her head, closing her eyes as exhaustion finally hit her. "No, Grindelwald did."
"I was being careless-"
"Tom."
Turning towards him, she placed her hands on his cheeks, willing him to look at her. "You cannot blame yourself. If you do, it will eat at you until there's nothing left. Grieve for her, yes. But do not blame yourself."
Sighing through his barely parted lips, he rested his forehead against hers, she could feel his jaw contracting underneath her hands. "Listen to yourself. What you said to Cain back at the manor. Take hold of your pain, or guilt, and focus it. Concentrate." She pulled him up to his feet before taking hold of his hands and wrapping them around her. "Do what you do best."
Tom ran his thumbs back and forth, feeling her back through her shirt, all the scars. "And what would that be?"
"A fighter."
Because in truth, that's what he was when it came down to the basics. He was a fighter. Tom had been fighting the moment he realized the world didn't lend a hand, especially not to people like him. When he realized he was different and the other children would pick on him, when adults would criticize him. He fought for his beliefs, though questionable they may be. He fought for his position and his reputation. He fought for what he held dear.
Life would always push him, and Tom would always back.
______________________________
Well around midnight, the group forced themselves down to have dinner in the downstairs tavern. Not so much to eat, but they knew they needed to talk. Plus, no one was complaining about having some company.
Lolita eventually came down and prepared a plate to take up to Cain, her hands were shaking slightly but other than that she was holding herself together. She had to, her fiancé needed her.
"How's he doing?" Pyrrhus asked. Lolita gave him a tight lipped smile, "hopefully he'll eat."
They knew he wouldn't.
Watchful eyes observed her as she slowly climbed back up the stairs, everyone quiet and picking at their plates. "This is so fucked," Abraxas muttered as he took a swig of whiskey, welcoming the burn that ran down his throat.
Olive was picking at her nails, she hadn't touched her food either, not that it looked appealing in the first place. "I don't understand." They raised a brow and she sighed slightly, half in irritation and the rest due to tiredness. She waved her wand, casting muffilato around their table just in case anyone's ears were burning.
"This is Grindelwald we're talking about. A war lord who's greatest enemy is the Albus Dumbledore. He's the most wanted man in the wizarding world, and no one has seen him in years. What the hell does he want with a group of eighteen year olds?"
They mulled it over and Delilah felt her heart drop.
Grindelwald couldn't possibly know about her, could he? She didn't see how it would be possible. She's never met the man before, and the only two people who knew her true story was Dumbledore and Elio.
Dumbledore sure as hell wouldn't tell his greatest enemy and Elio had only known for a little more than a day. The latter of which must've sensed her panic and squeezed her hand underneath the table.
"You're right," Tom muttered as he rubbed at his cheek, it didn't make sense. Sure, they broke into his collection. But a group of teens posed a far lesser threat than that of someone like Dumbledore or the Ministry. "If Grindelwald wanted us dead because of what we saw, what we know, we would all be dead by now. Why send a message? Why murder a child? A child he somehow knew was connected with one member of our group. Why are we important?"
"You think he has it out for us?" Aleksander asked skeptically. Tom turned his burning gaze on him, "why waste his time with us, Eques? If he didn't want us to talk, the least he could've done was take our tongues. But no, he sent a dead eight year old to our door with a damn message carved into her skin. He also knew Avery was close with his sister, he had to have. If Grindelwald were to have killed his father or cousin, the reaction would've been severely different."
"Shit," Pyrrhus looked awfully pale and downed alcohol straight from the bottle, the fire whiskey burning and making him feel warm. "We have a war lord after us? An actual fucking war lord that Dumbledore can't even defeat."
"You don't think he can beat him?" Delilah asked with a brow raised.
Abraxas shrugged, "if he can, why hasn't he? He's had loads of opportunities. Rumor has it they even knew each other as kids, they were friends."
Delilah bit her cheek, they were definitely more than friends.
She looked at Tom then, realization dawning on her at how similar her situation was, who was she to judge?
They were all silent for a moment, the bustle of the tavern around them falling on deaf ears. Slowly, Abraxas cleared his throat. "What about the Ministry?"
Everyone turned to look at Tom, wondering what he had planned. Or if he had anything planned at all.
Digging into his pocket, he flipped open the cigarette box and placed one between his lips. "It's still a go. We can't let this halt us. All we know is that Grindelwald knows we've seen his collection. If anything he's probably following us."
He waved a hand around the tavern, "he probably has men in here right this moment."
The group stiffened.
"Nonetheless, I think it'll be a tad difficult for his men to get inside the Ministry, let alone the department of mysteries. But that doesn't mean it's impossible, we need to be more cautious. Unless one of you would like to attend another funeral."
Delilah kicked him underneath the table due to his poor timing and he hissed slightly, causing him to bite into his cigarette a bit more than he intended. Since there was no filter, the raw taste of tobacco greeted his tongue and a shiver went through him.
"You don't think he has men on the inside?" Aleksander asked as Olive rested her head on his shoulder. The more Delilah looked, she realized how exhausted everyone seemed. Circles rested heavy underneath everyone eyes, slumped in seats, food untouched.
"It's a high possibility that we can't ignore, but we also can't dwell on it. That's why we talk to no one, keep your eyes front and chin up. Look like you're supposed to be there."
Finally Delilah asked the question everyone was thinking, "what about Cain?"
"Avery is coming along."
"You sound sure," Abraxas mumbled, picking at his plate slightly before begrudgingly forcing himself to take a bite. His taste buds revolted against the beef stew, but he forced himself to chew.
"I am sure," Tom reached over and snatched the bottle from Pyrrhus before pouring himself a glass. "He needs to keep himself busy, he needs to feel like he's doing something. He'll be restless for awhile and this job is a good outlet."
"You think Lolita will agree with that?" Delilah knew he had somewhat of a point, but she couldn't help but feel like Tom was using him. No that was stupid, of course he's using him.
"I'm afraid she doesn't really have a say, what Avery decides to do is his choice. What jurisdiction does she have?"
"They're partners, Tom."
"And?"
"That's how relationships work."
Tom read the disbelief on her features and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve all the tension he felt but it was fruitless. Downing the glass of alcohol, he nodded to the group before standing up.
______________________________
The next morning Delilah rolled over and felt the empty sheets beside her, unslept in. Sitting up, the room was vacant and she rubbed at her eyes.
Shrugging on one of Tom's shirts over her nightie, she walked to the dingy window and pulled back the curtain to get some sense of what time it was. It was slightly difficult considering rain was pounding against the cobblestone streets below, and the sky was covered in dark, thundering clouds. Shop lights in Diagon Alley were on, though, so it must've been around seven in the morning at the very least.
Turning around, a note stuck to the vanity mirror above the dresser caught her eye and she leaned forward to read it. The scrawl was slanted and elegant, indicating it was Tom who wrote it.
"Visiting a few shops, I'll be back by lunch," she muttered. Agitation rose in her chest unprecedented and she crumbled the note, tossing it into the bin before collapsing back into the rickety bed. She wondered if she jumped hard enough would she fall through the floor or shoot through the ceiling.
"Why am I such an idiot?" She called out to no one but the air. Eventually the molded ceiling got a bit old and she rolled over, burying her head in the sheets before letting out an agitated scream.
Restlessness, that's what she was feeling.
She was really leaving in three weeks, and Delilah was terrified at the notion that she no longer wanted to go. All because of a fucking boy who had the worlds smallest emotional range and a group of future death eaters. Delilah was going to see her family again, what was wrong with her? Why wasn't she bouncing with joy?
Maybe because they'll hate what you've become.
She pushed the thought away as she buried her face further into the blankets. If she was in their shoes, she'd hate her too. Maybe kill her, even. It's probably what she deserved for her makeshift courting to a future Dark Lord.
Nothing was making sense.
Why did she want to stay? What was the main root of this sudden shift?
Of course she'd miss her new friends... she'd miss him. But that wasn't the fixed point of why she no longer wanted to leave. All she knew was that Tom was the reason.
The scent of him hit her like a train on a track as she took a breath in, she'd forgotten she was wearing his shirt. Her heart rate calmed down and a warmness spread over her, making her head feel fuzzy and a knot in her stomach grow. She could almost see him, feel him even. If she just reached out.
A single word popped into her head that answered all her questions.
Delilah froze for a moment before shooting out of the bed, practically tearing the shirt off her. "No. Nope. No sir, this is not happening. Nuh uh," she rambled and almost fell over as she ran into the bathroom.
Turning the faucet on to the hottest it would go, she grabbed the bottle of liquid soap held underneath the sink and nearly poured the entire thing into the tub. Not thinking twice as she sat in the steaming water, the hot liquid nearly burned her skin but she didn't care. Delilah took a long bath and scrubbed at her skin till it felt raw, trying to get his smell off her but it was fruitless and that word popped into her head again.
Clenching her jaw, she took a cloth and began rubbing at her skin furiously for what felt like the hundredth time when someone knocked.
Looking up startled, Tom was leaning in the doorway of the bathroom with an amused smile on his lips. "What're you doing?"
Delilah became painfully aware that she was sat in the tub, the only coverage provided were the bubbles of soap and her cheeks flushed red. "Honestly, fuck you."
He raised a brow, not knowing where her sudden hostility had come from. However, the flush to her cheeks proved she wasn't all that angry and he slowly began to walk towards her. Self consciously, Delilah lowered herself further into the water and pressed her back against the tub, a weak effort to hide her hideous scars.
Leaning over, he plucked the rag from her clenched hand and sat down on the rim of the brass tub. "Were you hit with a jinx or something?"
Her brows furrowed, "no, why?"
He took hold of her arm and brought it out of the water. "Your skin is red, and I don't think that's because the bath water is hot or because your flustered."
She blushed and he tilted his head to the side, "well, for the most part." Rolling her eyes, she flicked some water at him. "You're not the first boy to see me naked, you dick." She blew a breath out of her nose and felt like throwing him out a window. Why was he just sitting there, looking at her. She felt like his gaze alone was enough to make the water boil.
Whatever trance he seemed to be in, he snapped out of it and made a come hither motion with his finger. When she raised a brow, he blew out a slow breath and took hold of her hands, pulling her forward slightly. The water rippled around Delilah and she tried to calm down her breathing.
Tom rolled the sleeves of his button down up to his elbows and wet the cloth. "What are you doing?" She asked slowly, the room suddenly feeling too hot. He didn't answer her, instead he raised a hand and ran the cloth along her collar bone but came to stop at the chain of her necklace. Eyeing the piece of jewelry for a moment, he trailed a finger along the silver and paused as he reached the Rosier family insignia.
"He still loves you."
Closing her eyes, Delilah pulled up her knees and rested her chin on top, "I know."
They're quiet for a minute or so, neither sure if they wanted to be having this conversation.
"Why?"
She snapped her eyes open and looked at him, "what do you mean?"
"Why? Why are you with me?"
Something in her chest stuttered at that, though she didn't quite know what to say and she ended up just staring at him. When he realized she wasn't going to answer him he stood up. Panicking, before she could think, she reached out a hand and took hold of his arm.
"I don't know," Delilah felt like she couldn't breathe as she choked out the words. Clearing her throat, she slid her hand down and twined her fingers with his. "I don't know. But it's right, I know it is."
His coffee dark eyes nearly turned black due to the dim lighting. Or perhaps that was just her overactive imagination.
Delilah yelped when he took a step forward and gave her hand a sharp tug, bringing her up to her feet. The harshness of the movement caused water to slosh up and over the sides, splattering on the floor but neither paid it any mind.
Her eyes were wider than the moon in that moment. She was completely naked, completely pressed against him, the water undoubtedly soaking his clothes. He didn't appear to care.
The world seemed to move so slow as he placed his other hand on her bare back. Delilah's breath hitched at the skin to skin contact and began to move away but Tom pulled her closer. No one had touched her back in the longest time, she never allowed them to. But there was something almost delicate with the way he was touching her.
Not as if he was worried she would break, but because he knew what he was holding was priceless.
He ran his fingers along her spine and she shut her eyes, waiting for the moment he would pull back in disgust. Sure, he's felt her scars through a layer of fabric, but this was different.
Her flesh was ruined.
It was stretched, compacted, and uneven. The ridges of one deep scar would clash with another at an awkward angle. Almost as if her back was a shattered piece of glass someone had tried to shove back together again.
Tom leaned away and her heart didn't have time to drop as he slowly turned her around. Before she could ask, she felt the press of lips in the space between her shoulder blades.
Delilah felt her knees go weak at the feeling of his hot breath on her wet skin, her mouth suddenly feeling dry when he wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, his breath making goosebumps appear all over her skin.
In that moment they didn't have to say anything, they came to the understanding that they didn't need to.
She leaned into him, feeling the most secure and most wanted she's ever experienced in what was probably years.
Yes, she knew why she wanted to stay.
Turning back around, Delilah didn't allow herself a moment to think as she placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Tom met her movement with a sort of underlying greediness, like he'd been waiting to do it for ages.
His tongue pushed past her lips and invaded her mouth, his own was still warm from a recent smoke and she could nearly taste the tobacco. Grabbing absentmindedly at his shirt she remembered how blatantly naked she was in comparison to him.
Beginning to pull away in embarrassment, Tom's hold on her remained vice like. "What do you think you're doing?" His voice was rasped and she felt her knees go a bit weak. "Let me drain the bath and then-"
"Nonsense."
Her brows furrowed but then her jaw went slack as he began to unbutton his damp shirt. Sure, she's seen him shirtless but she didn't know if she was prepared to see him naked.
The white shirt fell to the floor and he made quick work of his trousers, kicking those off his feet as well. When this thumbs hooked onto the waistband of his boxers, Delilah's cheeks felt like they were going to melt off her face.
His dark eyes met hers, and more a mere second Tom debated on hesitating before deciding to hell with it. Lips quirked up at one edge, he slid them down.
It was the least to say her mouth went dry.
Her eyes watched him carefully as he stepped over the rim, the warm water moving in ripples around his movements. She felt like she couldn't breathe.
Tom lowered himself into the water, leaning back against the basin and he made a twirling movement with his finger as a silent way to tell her to turn around. Part of her felt like leaping out of the tub and running for a towel. But with the way he was dragging his eyes up and down her body knew that would never be an option.
So she did as told, and the second she turned around his hands were on her hips and he lowered her to where she was leaning back and sitting between his legs. At that point it was nearly impossible to ignore the erection that was pressed into her back.
Was she supposed to say something? Usually she couldn't shut up but her mind was quite literally blank.
Tom then began to rub circles into the nape of her neck, slowly moving down her spine and she let out a sigh. Not realizing how tense she had been. Leaning more into him, his hot breath could be felt on her skin. A sharp reminder of how close they were.
The ghost touch of his lips near her ear became present when he whispered, "does that feel good?"
Delilah's eyes had fluttered shut and she hummed, and just then he stopped.
She hadn't the time to complain as his hands came around her and began tracing her collarbones, his touch feather light. Her breath hitched when he began to trace the contour of her breasts. The moment didn't feel overly sexual, though. It felt sensual. That being said, both of their arousal could be felt in the heavy air.
Dragging his fingers over her delicately, his digits brushed over her nipples before gliding down between the cavern between, down her stomach... lower and lower. Before he reached where she wanted him too, his hands changed direction and each went to massage a leg, squeezing and rubbing the heated skin of her thighs.
Her legs opened wider without a thought as his hands ran over the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, so close, then pulling away again.
Tom smiled, almost cruelly as he began rubbing circles into her hips, "alright, darling?"
He was being a tease and she knew it, so she shifted against him and heard him draw in a sharp breath. "I am, you?"
"Mhm," he hummed while pulling her tighter against him by her hips, welcoming the friction and it was clear she was getting impatient. Needy little minx.
Placing an open mouthed kiss on her neck, he sucked sending ripples of pleasure through her before running his hot tongue over the area to soothe it after. "Is there anything else you'd like me to tend to?" His fingers ran lightly back and forth just below her navel.
"Lower," she panted.
"Is that any way to ask?"
Delilah partly wondered what would happen if she just headbutted him, but with the way he was making her body feel on fire she chose not to dwell on the idea for too long. Swallowing her pride, she let out a sigh and asked as innocently as she could, "lower, please?"
A sinful grin was threatening to tug his lips back as he watched her legs subconsciously widen even further for him.
One hand cupped her left breast, his thumb running over the sensitive nub and she arched into it.
"Again," he said huskily.
"Please, lower."
"One more time."
"Please Tom-"
Something akin fire coursed through his veins at the way she said his name and his hand immediately went down to cup over her, the heel of his palm rolling and even in the warm water he could feel her heat.
Delilah's hips raised as his fingers ran up and down between her folds, raising and getting closer to the spot where she needed it most. But just before he'd reach it he'd go down again. He could tell she was very close to groaning out in frustration and he pinched the inside of her thigh earning a gasp and jerk from her.
"Stand up."
Delilah froze, taking a moment before looking over her shoulder at him. His own cheeks were flushed red, his eyes heavy.
"What?"
"I said stand up, I don't like repeating myself."
His voice was low and sharp, striking a chord in her chest and she felt another surge of want shoot through her. Tom leaned back, his arms coming up to rest on the rim of the bathtub as he waited patiently.
So slowly, she lifted herself, the water glistening over her body and he took a moment to appreciate the curves that graced her body. His eyes watched as droplets raced down her thighs.
Tom found himself wanting to catch them with his tongue.
When he smirked, Delilah didn't know if it was excitement or fear that hit her. Perhaps both.
Suddenly both his hands cupped behind her thighs, pulling her forward and at the sight of him looking up at her made a whimper involuntarily leave her lips.
"Spread your legs."
Oh Merlin did she feel dizzy.
"Be a good girl, spread them and come closer."
So she did, her whole body was shaking in anticipation and she took a small step forward. Clearly not enough because not a second later Tom yanked her closer and she was hovering right over him. Right over his mouth.
He looked up at her through his lashes, and before a coherent thought could be formed his tongue ran right through her folds in a long stripe, up and then the tip circled around her clit. Dots danced around her eyes and she bent forward her hands falling to hold herself up against the wall and a moan tore up her throat.
His hands came around to hold her steady against him, his thumbs running circles into her hips as he licked her, his tongue teasing her entrance but never fully going in. Delilah had to bite down hard on her lip as his tongue then pressed flatly over her clit and he moved his head side to side, up and down. Over and over and-
"Oh my god."
His lips closed around the nub then and sucked, the tip of his tug dragging against it incessantly as he did so. When he pulled away, his teeth dragged against her and her hips bucked into his face, a whine leaving her lips at the loss of contact.
His eyes looked at her cut, at how swollen it was and how wet. She was dripping, her juices mixing with the water that was running down the inside of her thighs. His cock throbbed painfully beneath the water and he suppressed a groan.
Her hand then wound itself in his hair, her nails dragging against his scalp earning a groan from him. "Why'd you stop?" She panted. Her chest rising and falling heavily.
Tom stood up then and sat on the rim, his back pressed against the wall and he pulled her forward to straddle his lap.
His eyes met hers as two of his fingers teased at her folds again, every few seconds dipping them in slowly and watching how she melted at his touch.
"Tom please just-"
His two fingers sunk into her, tight and warm and already pulsing. Delilah rested her hands on his shoulders, feeling overwhelmed in hazy euphoria. Tom didn't allow her much time to process however as his next words came out in a purr.
"Ride my fingers."
She nearly wanted to laugh, but with the way his brows raised it was as if he was daring her to question him. However with his fingers currently buried inside of her she didn't think twice and she slowly raised her hips, feeling the drag of his long fingers inside her walls before sinking back down again.
Her head fell forward to rest against his chest. Up and down, her hips angled forward and a low moan left her lips as she picked up her pace, creating a steady rhythm. With his free hand, he grabbed her chin and pulled her mouth to his. Delilah could taste herself on his tongue still and she groaned.
He then curved his fingers and their kiss broke with another wanting moan from her.
Tom watched her in heavy lust. "Just like that, you're doing wonderful."
Leaning back, he ran a hand through his hair, his own chest rising and falling heavily and she moved closer. Now each time she moved up and down on his fingers, she also grinded against his painfully hard cock that was leaking pre-cum from the slit. When her clit then ran against his shaft she felt a shock tear through her.
"Fuck."
Tom tsk-d, "you don't want the whole inn hearing how much of a slut you are, do you?"
Hearing him such a filthy thing only turned her on more and she grinded against him harder, nearly crying in anger as he then pulled his fingers out. His hands were then on her hips, pulling her against him and stars danced behind her eyes as her slick folds pushed against his cock.
A bruising grip was being held on her hips as he pushed her bare pussy lips against his hard shaft, making sure her clit dragged against him. Delilah was trembling. She started moving faster, getting even wetter if possible which made this easier.
"Doesn't that feel good?" Tom said into her skin before going to leave a trail of bites and kisses along her neck. She slid back, her cunt going to the tip and when it ran sharply against it she came with a sharp moan. Tom continued to grind her hips against him, riding out her high before eventually slowing down.
She felt like if she stood up she'd fall over, so instead she met his heated gaze and slid down to her knees in the bath, her hands rested on his thighs and he brushed his thumb along her bottom lip.
"You don't have to-"
"I know I don't.." his breath hitched when her nails lightly dragged against his shaft. Her hand then wrapped around him, pumping with just the right amount of pressure when she began to twirl her tongue around the head of his cock.
A guttural moan tore up his throat as he watched her warm tongue begin to tease the slit before sliding down the shaft, her eyes never leaving his as she then collected the lingering drops of pre-cum. Tom's hand cradled the back of her head as her hot breath danced over his erection. It was painful at his point.
Delilah opened her mouth then and slowly his cock sunk into her mouth, inch by inch, sliding down to reach her throat and she nearly gagged. It took everything in him not to just wind his hand in her hair and start fucking her mouth.Then slowly she pulled back until just the tip was in her mouth and she sucked in lightly, causing him to sigh through his nose in content at the sight in front of him.
Then her eyes looked back up to him, a moment passed and she nodded. Without a second wasted, his hand buried itself in her hair and Tom pushed his dick back into her mouth with a thrust. His cock hit her throat, muffling the whine that sounded from her but only sent vibrations through him causing him to go faster and harder.
The wet sounds coming from Delilah's throat fueled him on further and his hips bucked, drowning out the moans coming from her. She felt that ache return to her, more powerful than earlier and she shifted on her knees in a weak attempt to relieve some of the tension.
His pace was getting erratic, his hips rolling forward, his head thrown back and the muscles in his stomach were contorting.
She was gagging a bit and a few tears slipped out of her eyes. Tom reached his other hand forward and wiped them away, "look at me Delilah." Her blue eyes looked startlingly bright since they were a bit red. He watched the way his cock spread her mouth open wide, going in and out for a moment.
"Do you want me to come in your mouth?"
Delilah attempted to nod the best she could, only making him go deeper and her nose brushed against his pelvis and she whimpered.
A moan left his lips as he came, the hot liquid shooting down her throat and he head her head down on him as he continued to ride out his high. Once he caught his breath he carefully pulled out of her mouth, watching the few white strands of his cum on her tongue as she then licked him clean. He shuddered, chills ravishing his body and he swiped his thumb along her swollen bottom lip.
She was beautiful.
Afterward he helped clean her, though they got distracted a handful more times till the water was far too cold to stay in.
All too soon they had to remember they were on a tight schedule, they couldn't be in their own little world forever.
__________________________________
An hour later Tom sat at his desk and pushed back his damp curls for what felt like the hundredth time. His back was also a bit sore due to the tub being a bit small, but other than that he wasn't complaining.
Delilah laid on her stomach in the bed, her own wet hair in a messy knot as she flipped through a book that contained rare artifacts. Her hope to figure out what that package was had dwindled severely, but she still felt the need to look.
Sighing in boredom, she rested her chin in her palm. "Where'd you go today?"
"Shopping." He said flatly and she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I got that much from the note. I don't see any shopping bags, though."
"I didn't buy anything."
"So you weren't shopping."
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and he peered at her over his shoulder, "If you must know, I was doing more research."
"On what?"
Merlin, she's curious little thing. Turning in his chair, he waved a hand at all the books and scrolls. "The Ministry, what they might possibly have in the Department, who might work there."
"Who might be spies for Grindelwald, you mean?"
He nodded and went back to reading. He also tried to do some digging on the Deathly Hallows but came up short, seeing as almost every living being just believed the story of the Three Brothers to be a fairy tale.
He tried to rack his brain as he tugged at his hair, willing himself to think.
The wand was currently in Grindelwald's possession, he knew that much. The stone had been missing for centuries. And the cloak-
He sat up straight.
Tom's mind went back to the day he read Delilah's mind, some boy she was friends with had an invisibility cloak. He never thought anything of it, seeing as one can buy a cloak similar to that anywhere. But the memory of Delilah being tortured by that Bellatrix woman suddenly shot forward in clear resolution. She had said a name so venomously, filled with such disdain. That name was the whole reason Delilah was being tortured in the first place, for information concerning said person.
Slowly, Tom turned and stared eerily at Delilah.
Sensing his gaze, she looked up and suddenly felt oddly cold, like the blood was draining out of her. "What?"
There was a creepily long pause, as if he didn't hear her at first.
"Who's Harry Potter?"
Her vision went black for a moment as fear tore through her, other than that, she didn't allow herself to react. "A friend, why?"
Tom wasn't in the mood to dance around the subject, he felt excitement bubbling in his nerves, he could feel it all the way in his fingers. "Does he posses one of the hallows?"
Her brows furrowed at the absurd thought, Harry owning one the Deathly Hallows? It didn't seem possible nor plausible. "Not that I'm aware of," she said half heartedly and Tom sighed through his nose. Part of him hoped Delilah was lying, however the confusion on her face was evident.
Nonetheless, he pushed on. "Think, would it make sense for him to possess the invisibility cloak?" Delilah tilted her head as she looked at him, she couldn't help but feel he was reaching a bit. "No, I'm pretty sure he would know if he owned something so ancient."
"Perhaps he didn't tell you."
Although it was reasonable, the thought still unsettled her. "Why exactly do you think he has the cloak?"
He leaned back in his chair slightly, not knowing whether bringing up their little incident in the woods would make her angry. Regardless, he needed to know. "When I saw some of your memories, there was a boy with an invisibility cloak." As expected, she stiffened slightly, but didn't lash out. "And then in the cave, that woman was doing that to you to get information on Harry Potter."
A pressure was building in her head and her back itched all the sudden. Delilah rolled her shoulders and looked down as she fumbled with her hands. "What does that have to do with anything?"
He could see her walls go up and he knew he was on to something. Tom knew for her sake he should just drop it, but once he started down the path to solving a puzzle, it was hard to step back. "Why on earth would Grindelwald order one of his followers to torture you for information on a teenager? So, he obviously wanted to find him. Perhaps this Potter had something he wanted?"
Stress dropped on her like a ton of bricks and Delilah fell back onto the bed, her arms crossed over her eyes. Tom sounded so sure, but she knew the truth; Bellatrix sure as hell didn't work of Grindelwald. However, Delilah knew she had to play along.
"That doesn't make any sense. How would he even know Harry had the cloak?"
Tom steepled his fingers beneath his chin as his elbows rested on his knees, eyes clouded over as he dove into thought. For a moment he just sat there, silent. One wouldn't even think he was breathing. Then within the blink of an eye, he shot up and started to dig through one of his bags.
Lazily rolling her head to the side, she watched him and tried to keep the panic threatening to arise at bay. The whole notion was insane. Harry couldn't have the invisibility cloak, he just couldn't.
A sound cane from the back of his throat as he found the book he wanted. Tom paced back and forth in front of the foot of the bed, flipping through what looked like a list of endless names.
"The invisibility cloak is passed down between father and son, correct? So it stays strictly within family?"
Delilah nodded, but he didn't look up.
"And the three brothers were of the Peverell family?"
Slowly sitting up, Delilah pulled her knees up to her chest, feeling her own anticipation of what he was going to say next strike a beat inside her. Tom's excitement was evident, he was on the breach of discovery.
Placing the book down on the bed, Delilah leaned forward and saw it was a record of names belonging to numerous different families. Most of which were the Sacred Twenty Eight. Tom flipped to the 'P' section and ran a finger down the list, muttering names as he went.
"Here!" he sharply rapped on the book making Delilah flinch, a manic smile on his face. "Ignotus Peverell was the brother who asked for the cloak, and he passed it down to his son, who eventually was only able to conceive a daughter; Iolanthe Peverell. And who did she marry?" He turned the book around and pointed to a name.
Hardwin Potter.
The blood fell from Delilah's cheeks and she suddenly felt light headed. She did not just inadvertently deepen his obsession with immortality. However she also couldn't ignore the shock she felt. Harry did own one of the Deathly Hallows. True, his father didn't directly give it to him, Dumbledore did. But it was at the request of James. Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to fix this.
"You're wrong."
He laughed slightly, looking her up and down for a moment, "I beg your pardon?"
Reaching for the book, Delilah noticed her hands were shaking and she mentally cursed herself. "Look, there's no Harry Potter listed under the family."
He appeared as if he wanted to throttle her over the head with the book itself. "This isn't an updated copy, Delilah."
Or perhaps Harry wasn't listed because he hadn't been born yet.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she didn't know how she was going to lean him away from his perfectly sound assumption that Harry had the cloak. Tom was right, which Delilah hated to admit, making this all the more difficult.
"Potter is a fairly common name-"
"Why are you so against this?"
Finally looking him in the eye, he almost seemed desperate for her to agree with him, to share his excitement that he'd figured it out. Part of her wanted to, just to put him at ease but she knew she couldn't.
"Assume you are right, Harry has the cloak. What then?"
Tom stood up, gesturing around the room for no reason other than he couldn't seem to keep still. "We go find him."
"And then? What, you just take it from him? He won't give it up so easily."
"You can explain it to him."
"Explain what?"
"I don't know," he ran his hands through his hair and tugged at the roots in frustration. How was he supposed to describe the almost animalistic hunger he was feeling? Tom wanted, needed, the invisibility cloak. Having it in his possession would place him one step closer to becoming Master of Death.
"I don't even know where he is," Delilah muttered as she picked at a stray feather sticking out of a pillow a bit too harshly, causing the nail of her index finger to cut into her thumb.
"Owl him."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Her groan was nearly a scream of agitation as she threw herself off the bed, feeling restless herself. "Even if I could owl him, I wouldn't. The cloak doesn't belong to you and you shouldn't have it."
He was silent for a moment, trying to calm his breathing but Delilah could see how steep his chest was rising and falling.
"Is that why Grindelwald came after us? Because he knew you were there?"
She looked at him aghast, not liking the underlying blame of Rosie's death being shoved on her. "What? No, of course not. I had nothing to do with that."
"Really?" He tilted his head to the side, the gears in his head turning so loudly even almost she could hear it.
"How'd you get away from Bellatrix, escaping perhaps? Seems the most likely, maybe it was Harry Potter who saved you. A war lord doesn't just let one walk away because they didn't have the information. He wouldn't let you go so easily."
Delilah shook her head, everything in the room and outside suddenly became too vibrant and loud, giving her a headache. Merlin, how she wanted to just scream it; the truth. Tell him so he'd stop all these wild accusations that were making her head spin.
"Maybe Grindelwald couldn't keep an eye on Potter, then again if the boy was smart he'd go into hiding, he has a dark lord after him. So what would Grindelwald do next? Keep tabs on those this boy is close to, falling on you."
"Tom, stop. Please-"
"It makes sense. Grindelwald knows your close with Potter, so at any given chance, he'd need a way to lure you in. Why else would the house attract you, and no one else?"
"That's not at all what happened."
"Then what did happen? What are you not telling me?"
Pressing her lips together, Delilah crossed her arms and just stood there for a moment, contemplating her words, analyzing her thoughts. She honestly hadn't the faintest clue what to do next. What was she supposed to tell him? If she lied, he'd know right away. Delilah didn't even think she could handle giving another falsity.
So, she did the next thing that came to mind.
Turning on her heel, the image of the small room began to warp away from her as she apparated, the person who she wanted to see clear in her mind; Dumbledore.
However, before she could make a clean get away, Tom's hand shot out and grabbed hold of her arm, taking him along with her.
__________________________________
Please VOTE & COMMENT if you enjoyed!!!
Do I have any Timothée Chalamet stans?? If so, you are valid!!! If not, get your vibe checked. Because the photo shoot he just did with Saoirse Ronan is SO powerful. I'm so excited for Little Women!!