𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, Sirius Black

seventy-one

~if you can't wake up from a nightmare, maybe you're not asleep~
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****

In the end we all become stories. That's what Mrs. Cole explained to the kids at the orphanage when the bombs were falling from the skies, turning everything into ash. When the kids feared their death and someone had to take it from them. The orphans liked this idea of never truly dying, everyone but one.

Tom Riddle hated stories. 

Every story he has been told had a happy end, in the end, everyone found love and hope. But Tom knew that no one could ever truly love him because he couldn't either. He liked stories about monsters, about darkness, that's what he was able to understand. Darkness seemed to be the only thing he was ever able to feel, the only constant in his life. And that was what made it so great. 

He covered his true self with a charming smile, fooling nearly everyone around him, just not those who carry darkness in themself. Because just like the moon he had a side to him, so dark that nothing and no one could ever brighten it. Not even the stars or the sun were able to burn on it.

Monsters weren't born monsters, Tom knew that. But when you're born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire. But it's not. 

Tom didn't wanted to become a story, he wanted to be the one to tell it. He didn't wanted to be weak, he didn't wanted to die. If he wasn't able to bend heaven's love, he would raise hell's fire.

****

A hooded figure paced through the dimly lit halls of the mansion, its shadow trailing closely behind. The sounds of footstep echoed through the nearly empty corridor, cutting the dangerous silence like a knife. A scarred hand slipped from under the black coat and knocked on the heavy door that was placed at the end of the hallway. Just a few seconds after, the door was pushed open by a scared looking man. 

The hooded person slipped into the room, ignoring the timid man. And walked up to a figure that was seated on a velvet chair in front of the crackling fire that reflected shadows onto the walls. The figure turned around, revealing a man with creature like features. His hair was a shade of dark brown but seemed to have lost its glamour. His skin was sickly pale as his long fingers closed around his wand but the most scaring thing was his face. His cheeks were fallen in and his pale skin seemed to be turning grey, in his dark eyes seemed to linger a dangerous, reddish tone.

"My Lord?" the voice was trembling as the hooded figure bowed to the man. 

"You better have news Rockwood, wouldn't want you to end up like Podmore's kid, right?" he said in a dangerously calm voice. 

The hooded figure, Rockwood chuckled nervously "No, no of course not my Lord-" 

"Do you have news or not, get to the point. I'm not going to waste my time with someone useless" his voice was cold and even the fire couldn't seem to stop the shiver that ran down Rockwood's spine. 

"Department of Mysteries" hurried the younger man, "There is a new seer working there, she could be useful-" 

"Why?" boomed the pale man's voice, echoing through the room. 

"Her, her name is Talea Lupin, halfblood. I've looked through some of her documents and researched about her life. She transferred from Beaubaxton in her fifth year and did her N.E.W.T.'s in Hogwarts, it is not well known that she is a seer. Only a few people seem to know, when the Unspeakables told her that they knew that she's a seer, she seemed shocked and frightful even. Lupin has taken private lessons with her divinations tutor; she seems powerful and maybe she has something to hide."

There was a short silence, not a pleasant one. The silence was suffocating, speeding up Rockwood's heart and breath as if he had no more air left to breathe. 

"Find out everything about her but do not make it suspicious, I expect you to know every detail about her life until next month."

"But my Lord-" 

"Are you defying me Rockwood?" the man raised a brow, his face calm while his eyes held a danger that made his opponent shiver. 

"Of course not, my Lord" Rockwood's voice trembled as he bowed to his superior. 

"You are dismissed." 

The hooded man stumbled out of the room as fast as he could, closing the door behind him as he rushed through the dark hallways, leaving a curious man behind.

****

Talea woke up with a start, her breathing ragged and she could hear the loud sound of her heartbeat in her ears, the blood pumping through her veins. The moonlight turned her skin pale and a sweat coat glistened in the light. She felt exhausted, even after her sleep. She was scared. 

"Calm down love, it was just a dream" Sirius soft voice spoke from- what seemed like far away.

It was only then that she realised that the sky was still dark and Sirius hand was brushing over her arm, up and down. She turned to him, his hair was messy and his eyes were not fully open yet, he seemed to be still tired. His body was propped up by his hand as strands of his hair fell into his face.

She leaned into his embrace and whispered "What happened?" 

"You had a nightmare, I guess. I tried to wake you up for a few minutes but you seemed to be into a very deep sleep or something." He muttered and laid back down, snuggling closer to Talea. 

"Thank you for waking me up" she placed a kiss on his forehead "I love you."

"I love you too" whispered Sirius.

"For eternity?"

"For eternity" chuckled Sirius "This is so cheesy but I love it very much." Talea grinned and pecked his mouth before cuddling into him.

"Yeah, it was just a nightmare" she muttered more to herself than to anyone else but she wasn't quite sure herself. She was haunted by Voldemort's face; she was haunted by the darkness itself. How odd it is to be haunted by someone that is still alive. It seemed to be so real, but it was just a nightmare, right? 

But what if nightmares turn into reality?