Chapter 41

"Ten years separates Hokey's memory and this one, ten years during which we can only guess at what Lord Voldemort was doing..."

HP6

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Evelyn was back to her ordinary life as secret wife of Tom Riddle and shop assistant of her uncle. The shop was into its golden years as Caractacus brought gradually up the treasures from underground.At first Evelyn fiercely opposed the idea of letting anyone going back down there. She wished that place to be sealed and forgotten forever.Tom had dealt with Mordred's dagger and made it disappear. Evelyn didn't believe that he had destroyed it. It was more realistic that he hid it somewhere, but it was enough for her to know that it's wasn't hidden under their bed.Caractacus started to travel frequently underground, often accompanied by Tom, assuring that they would not rise any other curse.After days of panic, Evelyn started to get used to watch them climb downstairs and later climb up carrying precious things. So she calmed down and even desired to go back there.The undergrounds had a dark appeal of her for another reason. She persuaded herself that Tom still didn't know about her secret quest. She couldn't know what he did when she lost conscience after he stabbed her, but she hoped he didn't mind to check what book had fatally distracted her. And she got proof that he didn't murder the crazy man because she saw how he and Caractacus turned obsessed with protecting the treasures underground with complex and also dark magic.Tom also involved his knights to find and seal the other secret passages that linked the underworld to the surface.

Quiet months passed. The shop was living its best days, although Caractacus never stopped worrying about possible sudden visit of inspectors from the Ministry.Evelyn couldn't understand his worry since Tom was around most of the time and he was ready to use his manipulative skills or his memory charms to protect the shop's secrets. Anyway sometimes he was sent to missions for not raising suspects.

Evelyn wondered when they would move in to a better place than their small and cheap flat.They were earning a lot of extra money that she was saving at Gringotts. They were rich enough to improve their lifestyle, but Tom was determined to save them for their travels worldwide. In the evening he spent his free time making plans, studying magic world maps. Underground he had found more hints about unvisited magic places all around the world and he was impatient to visit them and learn a lot. He was so thirsty of knowledge that Evelyn realized that he wouldn't fit as owner of a shop in Knockturn Alley. So she relaxed and just feared that if he succeeded in being hired at Hogwarts, they would have little time to spend together.But they already were a little distant, when Tom was busy at examinating the treasures he had taken from underground or at planning future trips. And Evelyn had to fall asleep alone most of the nights, sometimes forced to wake up when Tom needed some night activities to force himself into sleep.

Evelyn glanced around, trying to look beyond the illusions that made their flat appear much more better than what it was in reality. It seemed a concrete version of her life.She exhaled deeply, hoping to blow away the bad ideas that sometimes crossed her mind.She needed to talk to Tom. Things had to change. Their plans had to change. But she wasn't sure he would easily agree."He's probably going to destroy this whole place" she said bitterly aloud "He hates to change plans, specially if they are his plans.. He's surely going to blame me. Do you think he's going to kill me?".Evelyn looked down at Hydra, who was slithering under her feet. Remembering the pain when the snake had bit her made Evelyn very diffident towards that beast, but Tom had worked hard to bring them close again, mainly by giving strict orders to the snake. Evelyn felt pity for the animal and that's what persuaded her to trust Hydra again: she could crush the snake under her feet as much as she wanted and the snake wouldn't react. Because that was what Tom ordered and the snake was somehow forced to obey. Or that's was just what Tom promised her, since Evelyn couldn't understand Parseltongue, but she saw how strict he was to the snake.Evelyn stared at the beast, imagining if there was room an animal like that in a normal life. Would Tom teach a kid to kill mice to feed the snake?Evelyn laughed bitterly to herself. Keeping a snake was considered creepy out of Knockturn Alley. Being a Parselmouth was enough to be labelled as dangerous and creepy for the rest of someone's life.

Once Evelyn dreamed to change history. Now she was so scared to just change her lifestyle just a bit."So, Hydra, what do you think? To tell him or not to tell him, this is the question".As expected, the reptile wasn't helpful.Evelyn had pondered all her chances, when she heard the door opening. She jumped up because she expected to see Tom coming back only for dinner. And it was early afternoon."Here you are luckily" He sighed."What happened?" She asked, instinctively realizing hat something was very wrong in the way he looked.He grabbed her by her shoulders "I need the most discrete but efficient poison you have. You should be the expert".He let her go to rummage through her shelves of potions.Evelyn shivered with dread "A poison? What for?"."I don't have time to explain now. I'm in a hurry" he said harshly."Tom..." She begged."Quick!" He pulled her towards the potions "It's for covering up"."What have you done?" She whispered, handing him a phial that he quickly took and ran away with it, promising to explain later.

No, she wasn't going to tell him.Evelyn snorted and looked at Hydra, the only company she had left. But she was tired of snakes, so she moved to the bedroom, taking things from under the bed.She sat down on the floor and started to rummage with nostalgy through their treasures.Each of them had a story to tell.The most precious jewel was into a simple, but highly protected box.Evelyn took it and unlocked the box, surprised that she was still able to do that, and took the Ravenclaw's diadem into her fingers. Bittersweet memories were linked to it.Evelyn sighed and placed it on her head, mentally begging for some wisdom. But she didn't feel anything new, so she just placed the jewel back into its box.Then she looked at Tom's pile of books. On the top there were old books on necromancy, his new favourite subject since he stabbed her to death and stole her from death itself.Evelyn felt disgusted that she had to sleep above such dark books, but a small book caught her attention and her heart was fillee with nostalgy again.She recognized his notebook he had bought into a muggle shop when they visited the muggle London together years before.He said he had written down his memories from his glorious fifth year at Hogwarts, but she could see just blank pages. Although she didn't need his memories to recall what happened in that year. When they threw themselves into their sick relationship, that lasted much more than they ever planned or imagined. But surely Tom loved that year because of his adventures with the Chamber of Secrets, that she didn't like because he forced her to have her first time with him.

Somehow Evelyn missed that time, when everything began and it was so exciting to be close to him, to try to know him better. When they spent evenings together because of their matching patrolling shifts and they could talk of anything or use their authority on the students they caught breaking the rules. When he was able to give her shivers of pleasure with the most gentle touch and soon after that he could shock her with the dark side of himself. She recalled how bad she felt when she discovered things about his past and that the mistakes of his parents were then paid by him.Evelyn hugged that notebook, almost wishing to be back to that time for a moment. Because she was tired to feeling so accustomed to everything. She wanted some changes, but the changes that Tom was planning didn't match what she needed.

She heard the door unlocking so she pushed everything under the bed and hurried to see Tom walking through the door, and then he locked it and casted some spell to locked also the windows.Evelyn shivered, feeling like into a cage."I have something for you" he said taking some boxes from under his cloak. He handed them to her, who took them carefully, reminding to herself that he had to give her some proper explaination and he couldn't buy her sympathy with gifts.Tom unlaced his cloak and led her to their bedroom, where she checked she didn't let any sign of her rummaging through his things.The wizard didn't care of details and he made her sit next to him."Why don't you open them?" He said impatiently focusing on the boxes she held on her lap. Evelyn swallowed hard, fearing what could be inside those boxes."Start from this one" he took the cubic one and placed it in her hand.Evelyn looked at him with diffidence, his dark eyes sparkling with a wild excitement. She gave in and opened it.Her heart stopped beating as she recognized the item, then started to beat furiously."I remember when you placed your lips on it" Tom said enthusiastic "Now here it is. Back in your hands".Evelyn couldn't stop staring at the small golden cup. Helga Hufflepuff's cup. That was it, she was sure of it. She wondered where he got it, but her curiosity made her impatient to open the other box.Tom took delicately the cup from her hands and replaced it with the other box."This is even more precious" he whispered, his voice shaken by his emotions. Something that rarely happened.Evelyn swallowed hard, but her mouth was dry.What could be more precious than Hufflepuff's cup?She slowly opened the other box and this time she felt she could die for the shock.Another golden jewel was in her hands. Back in her hands."Isn't it beautiful?" Tom teased her, amused by her reaction. He took the golden locket and examinated it with her "We saw this around Salazar's neck, but we never got to touch it. And here it is. In its right place. In our hand".Tom didn't know that Evelyn already placed her hands on it. He wouldn't like to know that as a child she was used to play with it, not knowing what it was.For her it was like finding a lost friend from her childhood.But when she held that golden locket in her palm, her hair didn't turn golden as it was used to happen ages earlier.She knew that the peak of happiness wouldn't last long."How did you get them?" She asked Tom, noticing his frown of disapproval as he didn't want to talk about that. But she stared at him, waiting for the explanation he had promised earlier."This is my lucky day. I was in my mission. And I got these two relics together" he laughed taking the two relics in his hands, feeling like a God, but he didn't affect Evelyn, who knew it wasn't the whole story."How?" She asked bluntly staring at him with a worried face.Tom simpered "The lovely Miss Hepzibah. She had them both".Hepzibah Smith was one of her uncle's richest clients. She wasn't surprised that she owned them. In some of their old researches they saw the surname Smith in the lists of possible heirs of Helga Hufflepuff. But Evelyn didn't expect Hepzibah to own also the locket. Her uncle knew it, but Evelyn refused to ask him about that. To protect the locket from Tom. And now it was all wasted."And how much did you offer to her to buy them both?" Evelyn inquired.Tom focused his attention on his new toys, the golden sparkles reflected into his eyes together with some sinister red gleam."Nothing" he said simply.Evelyn remembered that she was forgetting what role her poison had in the whole story. She started to sweat cold at the thought."What do you mean? What have you done with the poison? What happened to Hepzibah?" Evelyn asked trying to move away but fear kept her steady sitting on the bed so close to him."She's dead" Tom said with indifference without looking away from his treasure "I'm ready for another horcrux and I have all these lovely relics. Isn't this my luckiest day?".Evelyn jumped up as he glanced at her with that light of madness into his dark and red eyes.He didn't sound menacing but that was worse."You poisoned her" she whispered shocked.Tom stared at her like a predator follows its prey "No, I didn't. The poison was for covering up. Didn't I already tell you that?".So he used the Unforgivable Curse, she concluded. He directly killed her so it split his soul again."Why?" She whimpered "Why did you have to kill her?".Tom simply shrugged "I just wanted to. I couldn't leave without these relics. It was stronger than me"."Why didn't you tell me when you asked me the poison? I could have helped you. We could have planned something to trick her and steal them" Evelyn said quickly, hating to hear her voice trembling uncontrollably.Tom scoffed at her. He placed the relics on the bed and stood up. He was tall and his madness make him look so endlessly dangerous."She was already dead when I came here" he explained as if it was obvious. His eyes narrowed at her "Why do you care? She was just an old fat witch".Evelyn sighed, stepping away from him as much as possible "Exactly. A witch. I hardly accepted that you killed those muggles, now how can you expect me to accept that you killed a witch?".Tom made a bad face that made him look even more dangerous "I already sorted it out, can't you understand? I used the poison to make believe that her little house elf poisoned her cocoa. I manipulated the elf's mind. It's fixed. Nobody will suspect of us"."Of you" she corrected him bluntly "We had plans, Tom. And you wasted them all! Should we now leave to travel the world as outlaws? Praying that nobody finds out that two priceless properties of Hepzibah are gone and that nobody saw you paying a visit to her in the day of her death?".Tom sighed, appearing more relaxed than she expected, than she could ever be."We can leave for our worldwide tour, but without turning so paranoid. You just have to keep your mouth shut. Can you?".Evelyn held her breath, catching the thin menace into his words. Probably affected by his madness, she stepped closer to him ignoring the alarm bell ringing in her mind, with a provocative smirk that matched his expectations. The bed was close, their valuable treasures were all there. She knew that he had in mind to celebrate in his usual way."Why taking the risk?" She asked in a whisper, stopping in front of him, so close that she could almost feel the heat of his body.They stared into each other's eyes, in a challenging way.Evelyn moved her hand to touch lightly the pocket where he kept his wand "You had no hesitation in using the Avada Kedavra. Why don't you use the Imperius or the Cruciatus on me to tame me as you did with Hydra? Why don't you break my mind as you did with Milly? It would be more merciful than gradually driving me insane with your insane misdeeds!".Tom grabbed her wrist before she could take his wand out and twisted it until Evelyn screamed in pain, her body forced to bumped against him, stopped by it, while he kept twisting."Why challenging me?" He hissed caressing her head with his other hand "It's too easy to use the Unforgivable Curses on you. You are much more enjoyable with your wild mind, although sometimes it really pisses me off. Do you want to beg me to use some curses on you just for fun?".She digged her nails into his flesh trying to stop him from slowly breaking her wrist, but it just excited him more and she could clearly feel his excitement."No. I won't beg" she said with clenched teeth "But nothing saves you from hearing how silly you've been. Where is the Tom I was used to know? The one who is calculating, who wouldn't do anything without first pondering all the pros and cons?".He scoffed loudly when she said his name and let her go, moving his hand and arm to alleviate the itch from her scratches."Stop being so insolent, or I'll force you too to call me only by my real name from now on" he menaced watching her stepping away from him, but not running away nor taking her wand out to start a duel."You should stop trying to replace the reality with what you want the reality to be. You will always be just Tom Riddle, a halfblood unwanted by his parents. And you are starting to destroy yourself by your own hands with your impulsive choises" she almost laughed. She wasn't scared anymore of his reaction. Deep inside, he already killed her. So she had no reason to fear death. But he knew that and he would always pick the alternative: torture. And Evelyn was too tired of bearing any kind of pain, mental and physical."How dare you challenge me like this?" He hissed, his hand almost tempted to take his wand but gave up. He glanced at the treasures on their bed "I brought you these. I shared with you my triumph. And now you are making all this show for what? Because you're jealous I'm going to make another horcrux? I always supported the idea that you too could make one for yourself and you always refused. Or is it for Hepzibah? I thought you were sick of her too. Weren't you so jealous because there was a period when I had to spend more time with her than with you? Didn't you fear that I was replacing you with her just for money? Now she's gone. We should just enjoy these relics. We are the richest people in the world now and nobody knows that".Evelyn wanted to cover her ears. He was too able to use words, to charm as to inflict pain. He would never admit he committed a terrible crime. He would never regret it.Evelyn was just wasting time trying to make him feel guilty or sorry for what he did.

"I let you celebrate alone, then. I need to stay alone for a while and clear my mind. As you say it's tired and messed up" she said quietly "Am I allowed to leave?".Tom observed her and she just stared back at him blankly. He knew she was reckless enough to put him into troubles, but he also knew that she could be easily dragged into disgrace with him using the right words and the right revelations. She was his partner in crime for all those years, she wasn't innocent and he never manipulated her memory nor used the imperius on her, so she would result clean to any inspection. She owned her free will all the time.Tom nodded with a challenging look.Evelyn walked away, unsure of what the consequences could be, if she would dare to come back to that flat to face that murderer again.She walked out of the building without consequences. She felt the need to cry, to try to alleviate the pain of her broken heart. But her body reacted in a different way and made her vomit violently. It was like vomiting her soul.

Evelyn didn't know what to do, whom to go to. She looked around herself, almost panicking.Few wizards walked passed her but didn't care if a stranger looked that different.She wished to go to her uncle, but she didn't want to involve him and put him in danger. If Tom was going to look for her, her uncle was the first person he would question.So Evelyn decided for the latest place she wanted to visit.St. Mungo's.

Using Apparition turned out not to be a good idea. Evelyn felt so sick that she could become a patient. If it was for Tom, he would easily lock her in that hospital for mental disorders.And that was the branch of the hospital she looked for.In their fight, she happened to mention Milly, so after so many years, Evelyn decided to visit her.Milly never showed signs of recovery, so she was going to spend what was left of her life in that place, as a burden for the healers and for her family.If Tom wasn't able to feel regret, Evelyn painfully suffered. Because he had persuaded her to torture Milly, he had destroyed Milly's mind just because of Evelyn. So Milly always had the right to hate Evelyn for that, as if she had foreseen what was destiny was.When Evelyn got to be alone with her cousin, the sight left her speechless.Milly looked like a wild, tortured beast. Only her features weakly reminded that she was human.The healers used some potions to make her quiet, like a tamed beast. So Evelyn approached her.She wanted to say sorry, to talk to her and update her about all the things she missed. But she didn't find the strength to speak. Because she was calculating and speaking was dangerous. Just some words could wake up some memories into Milly's broken mind. Memories that could frame Tom.Evelyn sighed with sorrow. Deep inside she couldn't, or simply didn't want to harm Tom. She didn't want him to be locked into Azkaban, maybe next to his uncle, who was paying for murdere he never committed.Evelyn just wished that someone wise would tell her what to do. What was the right solution to all that mess.Some movements distracted her from her thoughts. Milly had raised her head, after letting it hang down.Evelyn crossed her eyes, eyes proved by years of madness treated with useless potions. Blank eyes that almost looked like a dead's ones. Or maybe those eyes simply wished to be dead, so the agony would end.Suddenly Milly's eyes widened making Evelyn's heart sink with the idea that she just recognized her.Milly opened her mouth and mumbled something. Evelyn believed she heard her own name, but when Milly repeated it she said it clearly.Evil.Milly started to repeat it again and again, raising her voice until she was screaming it.Evelyn retreated horrified while a couple of wizards injected some potion into the mad girl.No, there was no redention for her. Evelyn knew she could never recovered from that, what could she make worse? Still it seemed her only destiny now. And it was all Tom's fault.

Since it was pointless to keep visiting places just to avoid thinking and dealing with Tom, Evelyn went back to their flat, expecting him to be already following the ritual to create his new beloved horcrux.She stopped by the door, watching her ring in her hand and touching it nervously. She clenched her fist, wishing to punch hard Tom on his face for what he did.Evelyn inhaled and gave up. She didn't like to attack.When she gloomily opened the door, she spotted Tom coming from the bedroom."Oh here you are. Just in time" he said gently, as nothing happened. As if he was making her look like the fool one. Something he was so capable of doing.He took her hand and led her to the room. From the way he acted, she almost feared that they had some visitors, but once in their bedroom she saw nobody. Just the treasures on the bed.Tom pricked her finger, making her wince, and made some drops of blood fall on the treasures, then he healed her and ended the protection spell."Now I dare anyone to try to steal them from us" he grinned like a happy kid, placing the relics into their boxes and hiding them under the bed."Why did you involve me?" Evelyn asked confused "I could always decided to take them and run away with them".Tom glanced at her as he stood up. He stepped closer to her with a look that made her feel weak.He was trying to appear as the sane one and she couldn't allow that."Really?" He whispered "I'm quite sure I can find you wherever you decide to hide. And how long do you think you can stay away from me?".He placed gently his hands on her arms. Evelyn almost wanted to give up, but she was too sick and tired of forgiving him his crimes. His hands traveled slowly down her arms, her body begging for surrendering one last time. But Tom was like a drug, and also killing was a drug. She had to leave because she knew that he wouldn't stop killing for her again. Evelyn swallowed hard and took his hand to pull them away from her "Things have to change, Tom".He didn't react badly when she said his name.He just slightly frowned "Change how?"."We had a deal, remember?" She said softly. She didn't want any bad fight anymore "You wanted me back with you and you promised not to kill again. You did it now, for no good reason. So it's over".Tom stared at her surprised, then scoffed at her "Is it that easy? Can you really break up with me? You're my wife, did you forget that?".She took her ring out of her finger "So I want divorce. But since we were not legally married, I don't need a legal divorce".Tom laughed shaking his head "Fine. We are divorced. Go wherever you want, but don't be ashamed when you won't be able to stay away from me any longer. You can come back. I won't mock you. Because I understand".Evelyn frowned with anger "Do you think I'm just playing a game? Tom, I'm serious. I can't and I don't want to be with you anymore. Do you think I can sleep with a murderer?"."You've done it before, Evelyn. What's the difference now? You should just stop brooding, lock your morals away and let your body say what it wants" the corners of his mouth slightly curled in amusement."So is this the only thing you want now? The reason you are acting as the charming prince? You need someone to entertain you on this bed?" She said dryly.Tom rolled his eyes with a sigh "Evelyn, listen to yourself. Isn't it what you want? And you are trying to blame me"."Don't try to manipulate me with your words" she spat hotly "Tom, it's over. Period. Things are changing. Period. Do you want to kill me again because I'm not giving it to you? Fine! Kill me".Tom laughed at her face "You're crazy. Still obsessed with death?"."Am I the crazy one? You are the one who keeps books on necromancy under our bed! Death is always living with us, eating us alive"."So it's always me the problem" he simpered "Evelyn, I can't be that man you desire. I can realize all your wishes, except those about me. About changing me. I can't be a loving, romantic wizard who would give everything up for love and feelings".Evelyn craved for him to be sincere, but she didn't expect that it would be so painful to hear him saying that."I wouldn't die for you, I wouldn't put your happiness before mine, I wouldn't sacrifice my dreams for you. You have your own great ambitions and I'm not asking you to throw them away. We can keep a balance, we can cooperate and spend nights together. But stop asking me what I can never give you"."A normal life?" She whispered trying to keep herself from breaking in front of him."Worse. Love" he said bitterly "I grew up without knowing what love is and I realized that I don't need it, so I started to disdain it. And nothing, not even you, ever made me change my mind. I hate your blinding feelings you have for me, I hate that you are trying to make me feel the same"."So this is it. You hate me, but you used me" saying it aloud was deeply painful. And Evelyn could never get used to pain."I didn't say I hate you. I said I hate what you want me to be" he explained calmer."So do you confess that you have been with me for all these years because of these?" She waved her hand to the relics "You knew nobody could persuade Caractacus to take a shop assistant except me. And you've always been able to charm the people you needed. So this is the truth. This was your plan for all this time".He shook his head patiently "If it was so, I would have used the Imperius. It was much more, Evelyn. But don't call it love. I hate that word. I still appreciate your company, your intelligence, our good time together. Is this not enough for you? And wasn't this what you wanted to hear from me?".Evelyn swallowed but she was choking in her sorrow. She nodded mechanically "Yeah. Thanks. I'm just sorry. I'm so sorry for your story. I wish I could have saved you then, when you were just a kid".He scoffed "You can't do that. So stop daydreaming and accept me for who I am"."Even if it's so wrong?"."Yes. Because you don't have another choice" Tom said firmly "Since a walk in the open air didn't help you, I leave this time. So you can decide whatever you want. Agreed?"."Fine" she said sharply.Tom nodded and walked to the door grabbing his cloak.He looked back to see Evelyn watching him from the door of their bedroom with a serious face."I suppose I'll see you for dinner" he said blankly "If I won't find you here.. I'll understand".Evelyn got the meaning. She agreed to the deal. He couldn't know that it was the last time he saw her alive.

A/N

Only three *for me very emotional* chapters to go!I'll never say thank you enough to all of you for reading, commenting and supporting me ❤ I confirm that I'll be working on a sequel, that is slowly taking shape, but I'd really appreciate if you can tell me what are some new things you'd like to see about Tom's life and attitude. Any small or big idea is appreciated and can be very helpful! 🙇