Extreme Unction (Tom Riddle saga)

Chapter 19

"Feet don't fail me now
Take me to your finish line
Oh my heart it breaks every step that I take
But I'm hoping that the gates, they'll tell me that you're mine

Walking through the city streets
Is it by mistake or design?
I feel so alone on a Friday night
Can you make it feel like home if I tell you you're mine?
It's like I told you, honey

Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough, I don't know why
Keep making me laugh
Let's go get high
The road is long, we carry on
Try to have fun in the meantime

Come take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane
So choose your last words, this is the last time
'Cause you and I, we were born to die

Lost but now I am found
I can see but once I was blind
I was so confused as a little child
Tried to take what I could get
Scared that I couldn't find
All the answers, honey

Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough, I don't know why
Keep making me laugh
Let's go get high
The road is long, we carry on
Try to have fun in the meantime
Come take a walk on the wild side

Come kiss me hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane
So, choose your last words, this is the last time
'Cause you and I, we were born to die

Born to die, Lana del Rey

~~~~~~~

Although he felt her weight pulling him down, Richard raised his wand and dove upwards until his head broke the surface of the water, gasping for the air that his lungs needed desperately.
Encouraged by his fears, he forced himself to believe that his mother was just unconscious and dove to the shore, where Clarice was waiting to help them out of that dark lake.
"Mother?" Richard called panting and spitting water "Mother!".
Clarice tried some spells, but turned pale at the sick colour of the skin of the older witch.
"No, come on!" he insisted and pressed his hands on her chest to push the water out of her lungs.
"She's breathing" Clarice whispered with relief "But we need to get out. This place is extremely dark".
Richard agreed and together they pulled Evelyn up.
"I can apparate us" Clarice offered and closed her eyes to focus hard on the task.
Richard tightened his grip on his mother and held his breath, until they appeared back in London.
His grandparents and the Order rushed to their aid and carried Evelyn to the hospital.

"We did it" Richard commented after he finally felt relieved enough to be able to sit down "Just in time".
Clarice sat next to him, looking at the window where they could see that Evelyn was sleeping.
"Thank you" he added with deep gratitude "I couldn't find her if it wasn't for you".
She nodded weakly "We need to thank my vision and the tracking spell I used on her. I didn't know about that place at all. But I'm sure she doesn't want us to reveal to others about that cave".
Richard nodded, shivering at the memories of that awful place.
They had told the others that Evelyn threw herself from the cliff.
"I wonder why that cave. And now simply in the sea. So we could never find her?".
"Probably" she replied simply "Let's forget about it. She's safe now".
Richard trembled "But what if she'll try again? How can we force her to live?".
"She's struggling to recover from the biggest trauma of her life. Give her patience, time and love".
"My love isn't enough" he felt stabbed by his own words "I'm sure that if I was the one to fall in that mission, she wouldn't be so broken and my father would know how to comfort her".
"How can you be so sure? Do you doubt her love for you?".
"No, but I guess she loves my father more than me. They were one. While I'm just their son".
He could feel how she was uneasy in front of that bitter truth, but she tried to comfort him anyway.
"I think she once told me that nothing can be stronger than the love of a mother for her son. You undervalue what you mean to her".
Richard shot her a disappointed look "I thought you could understand me. Didn't your parents reject you? Is that what you call parents' love?".
She didn't flinch at his unfair provocation "My parents weren't able to understand and accept my powers. Nobody is perfect. And I stopped judging them. This is my world and my mission is to fight injustice".
He appreciated her confidence "You're stronger than me. You are free, independent. While I can't accept to see my family being so broken".
Her lips curled in a flattered smile while her elbow teased his arm "You know that I envy you. You had the idea of the perfect family that I always craved for. Having two parents who loved each other so desperately and who love you so unconditionally. Be grateful for what you had".
Richard swallowed hard and grabbed her hand hoping that the gesture meant enhanced his words "You're right. I'm grateful to have you by my side".
She squeezed his hand back "Now you are needed by her side. And remember, be delicate".