Lost | Tom Riddle ✔

Chapter 76

"He is the best. Can't you see the fear in their dirty eyes?" Abraxas Malfoy whispered-yelled.

"I do and believe me I would love to see them out of this castle, but -"  Benjamin Lestrange trailed off.

"But what?" Marcus Mulciber asked cautiously.

"But it makes him uncomfortable to see them like this. He would prefer them out but not dead or frozen," Evan Rosier observed seriously. 

Sitting in a chair Tom observed this whole scenario. Recently, he had been doing that quite frequently.  After the betrayal of the boy whom he trusted the most, otherwise known as Anthony Avery, he had been more cautious and suspicious than ever before. This was one of the reasons he hadn't called Anthony that day in their private gathering. However, it didn't mean he was leaving him altogether. He looked at the first year across from him. Ares Avery was sitting next to Adrian Winters. Both the first years were looking equally uncomfortable and awkward next to one another. They still had their feud.

The gang had gathered around the fireplace. The blankets covered their bodies as an additional layer of warmth. The room of requirements had taken extra care to keep them cosy by providing extremely comfortable couches. That room had been the gang's unofficial headquarter since Tom introduced it to them. It had also been the day when he decided to take official steps towards his succession. He wanted to rule the world and for that he needed supporters. At that point in his life, he had decided, that these fools were enough. To put it in a more fashionable way he had given the title of "Knights of Walpurgis",  an unofficial association of wizards for building a better future for magical folks. When he had offered Ares and Adrian a chance to be a part of it, they both jumped on it keeping away their mutual discomfort, to be a part of an elite private society of elites. To be honest, Tom hadn't told them that purification of Wizardry was one of their agendas yet. 

Tom looked down. His long, lean fingers ran across the smooth wooden texture of his wand. He bit his bottom lip to eat away his growing smirk. He always believed to keep friends close, but enemies even closer and at the moment the sixth year Avery wasn't on his good side. After his discovery, he had kept Alexa and Anthony at distance but he had, generously, taken their younger versions under his wings, or more precisely, scales. Both elder ones were family-oriented fools, so the great manipulator knew that he could keep them on their toes by holding onto their weaknesses. 

Tom looked around him. A sigh parted his lips when he leaned back in his chair. It was of annoyance and exasperation. The fools that he had to call his friends were discussing his deeds after all. His mind, dutifully, reminded him why he had been tolerating them once again. Marcus and Abraxas were there simply because they hated muggles and their blood with passion. Benjamin was there because he was loyal to Slytherin house. Evan was an incredible gossiper and Tom knew that he would be handy for spying. Ideally, Alphard Black would have been there too if not for his sister getting engaged to their second cousin. A smirk graced Tom's lips, at least he was not the only one who was suffering at the moment. 

These fools were appreciating him without even knowing that it was indeed him who was doing their work for them. A half-blood was taking responsibility that none of the pure-bloods could tackle. And till that evening no one had discovered that it was him they should be thanking. What a selfless thing to do! Tom thought to himself sarcastically.

Getting fed up with their unending chatter, Tom almost sighed in relief, when he saw it was a time just around curfew.

"Okay knights! It's time to call it a night," he announced, with a barely hidden enthusiasm. He just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Everyone left the room. Everyone but one. Tom turned to see that Adrian was looking at him already. 

Tom wasn't in a mood to entertain anyone, so without beating around a bush, he went straight to the point. "What is it, Adrian?"

The boy swiped his tongue across his bottom lip, clearly reminding Tom of the other Winters who had the same habit when she grew nervous. His hands clenched. It had been weeks since he had been ignoring her and it would be a lie if he told that he didn't miss her already. Ignoring her had turned out to be harder than it seemed. The boy had argued with himself that his life had never given him simpler choices anyway. Everyone in his school had seen what he had achieved, but none stood by him and even contemplated he had done that from what.

Shaking his head, as if that would rid him of her image, he narrowed his eyes on the younger boy. It had been enough to get the latter talking.

"I just, um, just wanted to t-thank you for considering me to be part of this group," Adrian expressed timidly and quickly. A nervous smile on his lips reminded Tom of his childhood. Adrian did remind him of himself. Perhaps, that was one of the reasons why he had kept a close eye on that boy. Like Tom, Adrian also grew up without a family. Like Tom, Adrian was a magical kid stuck between muggles since the day he was born. Like Tom, he didn't remember his mother. Too much similarity to be ignored. Thanks to muggles fighting one another, the latter had been shifted from one orphanage to another. At least, Tom was lucky enough to get stuck in one orphanage only. He couldn't imagine himself coming across more muggles than necessary. He considered them a nightmare.  

"You are welcome." Tom nodded his head. "Now go to bed."

A lazy smile on his sinful lips eased the younger boy who looked at him with admiration. It was clear as daylight that Adrian did aspire to be like an older boy. Everyone did. 

Tom turned back towards the fireplace. With a simple flick of his wand, he added an extra piece of wood in it. He looked in amazement when a suddenly dying fire blazed. His relaxed posture stiffened when he heard a sudden creaking of the door. What would it take to have some peace? Eyes blazing with fire he turned around to see it was the last person whom he wanted to see. It was an object of his obsession. His possession. It was the girl who had been on his mind. Always.

It was the dearest cousin of the boy who just left.

~*~*~

Look out for the next update.

It will be out soon.

Sorry for a filler of a chapter. It is a base for the next chapter.

The object of my fascination... 

Ah! The best actor to portray Tom Riddle.

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