Turned - Tom Riddle

Chapter Nineteen

"Is that...is that a Horcrux?" Tom sputtered, looking the most distressed Elizabeth had ever seen. "Why did it do that when I touched it? How did you make it do that?"

She said nothing.

"Elizabeth, talk to me!" he yelled at her. She looked up.

"It is. I am sorry that you had to see that, Tom, I really am. There was no other way to keep people away from it," Elizabeth told him. A tear rolled down her cheek.

He was shaking his head, "That was the most...horrific thing I've ever experienced."

It wasn't an exaggeration. Elizabeth had charmed the photograph to show those who touched it besides her, the thing they feared most, the people they loved being killed, or whatever else would detract them from the Horcrux. She sat down next to him, leaning against the wall.

There was silence for a moment, "My grandparents said you could stay. Although, I understand if you don't."

"No, I will stay. I just...didn't expect that from you, that's all," he whispered. Tom was different. His eyes showed the most fearful expression.

"I have to ask...what did you see?" Elizabeth pondered, referring to the Horcrux.

"I saw you," he looked over at her. Elizabeth's eyes brightened. "I saw you, being tortured and the thought of seeing you in that much pain, it was awful."

Elizabeth was idle. She always tried to convince herself that he didn't have any feelings for her. She brushed it off and didn't let herself form false hope. 

Tom had lied. He only saw himself without power, back in that orphanage for the rest of his years. Yes, Elizabeth being killed would put a fairly large damper on his move to control, but she wasn't that important.

"Again, I am really sorry," Elizabeth apologized again. "But Tom, why were you going through my drawers?"

"I was looking for something."

She raised an eyebrow, "In my sock drawer?"

"Well, you took one of my socks already, who knows what else you've got of mine," he joked with a smirk.

Elizabeth wanted to ask again, but she had been desensitized to Tom's strange behavior. He could charm her nightstand to sing and she wouldn't question it twice.

"Just letting you know, you can't make any noise or wander about the house. My grandparents think you're arriving tomorrow morning," Elizabeth told him.

"I assume we'll have a similar sleeping arrangement as we did before?" He made a cheeky grin. Elizabeth hit his arm playfully.

"You cannot bring that up again, especially in front of the other students."

The grin fell from his face and he formed an irritated expression, "By students, you mean Corrington. Don't you?" After her silence, he raised his voice again, "Does he know that you are spending all of this time with me?"

"No. I told him-"

"I do not care what you told him, but I do care how you feel about him. You can't have us both," he explained. Elizabeth saw his fist was tight. Tom feared she wouldn't choose him.

"Tom, you should go. And don't come back," Elizabeth whispered. She couldn't do this to Joshua. "Please."

"Elizabeth, this isn't what you really want. It's what he wants," Tom was nearly stuttering. "I am the only one that really cares about you." He couldn't let her go. He didn't know where else to gain the power he needed. There couldn't be anyone more powerful than him.