All summer Avella wrote in her diary. Things about fourth year and about Tom. Until her mother burst into the room.
"Avella! Get your finest dress on now we are going to the Black house. And stop writing your baloney in that book of yours" she slammed the door shut
Black house? That means I'd be seeing Walburga,Pollux, Dorea and Lucretia, let's not forget Orion.
She didn't really mind the family, Orion was her favourite. Apparently, Irma Crabbe is to be wed to Pollux Black. So she'd be there, she is already pregnant with a baby boy along with Pollux. But she's not even seventeen. They plan to name the baby Cygnus.
Avella sighed and left the diary unattended, waltz to her dark ebony dresser and pulled out her best dress. It was a dark blue one, it was plain. It wasn't a formal event.
She apparated with her mother and father and came to Grimmauld Place, soon the two houses moved along the dimly lit street. Soon a gloomy dark house appeared and her father knocked. This revealed Orion's father who greeted the father of Avella merrily.
The Black and the Lestrange family were close. They all stepped in, Kreacher the elf with a tray in his hand giving up pumpkin juice and rum.
Avella was the only one to regard Kreacher like he was a wizard. Which Kreacher liked a lot. She knows what it feels like to feel inferior to everyone.
Walburga was a year younger than Avella. But she saw the Lestrange girl like a sister. Orion came up to Avella and tugged the sleeve of her blue dress
"Come on Avella! Let's go to where the fun happens!"
They rummaged upstairs, opened the door to the right to see everyone there, the room went quiet as they saw Avella.
Her blood ran cold. When she saw the dreaded face of Tom Riddle, Abraxas, Rosier and all the others there.
"I thought it was only our family here" Avella whispered to Orion
"No no. My mother just wanted everyone privileged to come and discuss who we should marry" he shrugged
"Why is Tom here? He's a Halfblood." Avella guiltily says
"Well..there's something you should know." Orion took her outside to another room
"Well?" She looked expectantly at Orion.
"Well, we have a group, well a cult. Tom is the leader, we are his army. We do what he says." Orion looked helplessly at the girl
"So that in there, was a meeting?"
She pointed to the wall connecting the two rooms
He nodded
"What are the group called? What do you do?" She asked
"Well, Knights of Walpurgis. We erm, do Tom Riddle's dirty work." He gulped
"So like if he asks you to kill someone, you'd do it?" Avella looked perplexed when Orion nodded his head
"Or we will be killed ourselves" he shakily replies
"Why did you join?!" Avella whisper-shouted
"I had to. He threatened my family." Orion choked up
Avella didn't know fury had infiltrated her body, Orion lead her back into the room. She sat in a corner happily reading the daily prophet, sadly it's all about Gellert Grindelwald.
Tom idolised Gellert Grindelwald. He was like a wizard he wanted to be. He wanted to be more powerful than Grindelwald.
Avella wasn't scared of Grindelwald. He wasn't after people like her anyways. Soon the boys surrounding Tom had dispersed to different parts of the room. Tom managed to catch sight of the girl sitting in the corner infront of the red curtain reading.
He perched next to her. She was disgusted by the sight of him, while his gaze was a loving one
"Hello, darling." He made the first move like it was a chess game
"Get away from me Tom, you mad person" she tried to inch her chair away
"What have I done now? You haven't seen me for weeks" he replied
"I know what you do, those boys do everything you want to, while you are trying to deceive everyone to be great person, you lying piece of rubbish!" Her strong British accent ring through his ears
"Finally figured me out now? Well you haven't figured out my how much I need and want you, Vella" his voice was calm
"How could I love someone so...cruel" her voice mumbled
"You find I am made out of evil and cruelty. But that's the thrill of me, I could give you more than just that." His voice sounded like the devil himself
"I will not be played into your tricks! We are going into fifth year and I am not going to have my mind averted because of you" she got up and closed the book with vigour.
"Darling wait!" He shouted as everyone looked to him
Tom felt embarrassed. Never was he rejected multiple times by someone like Avella Lestrange.
Lucretia still didn't let go at the fact Tom had fallen for someone else, she was in denial. Denial from the first moment he left her.
Tom didn't care much, he only cares for Lestrange, who he believed to be his one and only, his life, his soul.
If there was no soul, there as no Tom. He will not be fully restored until they are together. Now he's outside facing the one girl he never thought he'd actually loved. On the still pavement at twilight
"Avella, please. I am not a cruel person under all the cruelty. If you think I am someone who is evil, well we are similar, both have hatred towards people they've never known. Both wanting the same things, like power in our own ways, yours with studying, mine with the world. You and I wanted to make an impact, but for different things. You find we are similar in traits. You just don't show it" Tom says
"Tom! You narcissist! I am not someone who is like you, I have people who I love. And most importantly I have a family!" She shouted back
The words 'I have a family' cut deep into Tom's rotten heart. He stood there utterly bewildered by her response.
Avella realised what she had said and a look of regret painted on her face
"You don't dare bring up my family! You understand me Avella Lestrange. If you really cared about someone that deeply you'd do anything for them, I am willing to do anything for you. Understand that this isn't about the chamber anymore. For once I can actually picture having a family with you. Even if I don't have my own!" He shouted coming up to the frightened girl
"You wouldn't understand because you misunderstand me! You don't know the feeling of loneliness. You don't know who I am! You don't understand how many years I've suffered to get here and look at you looking like that. You've had everything. I've had nothing! Get it in your thick skull Avella Lestrange. Or you won't see that the world is already corrupted before I've even impacted it." Tom spat his venomous words at her
"Tom we all have struggles. Yours maybe more severe on mine but you can't keep going on like this. I am trying to protect what is good, you are trying to empower what is bad. That is why we are so opposite. If you love me stop with the evilness" she whispered
"Once again, Lessie. I cannot once I've already started. I love you, how long does it take you to see? You are my soul, you are inside of me and I am inside of you in different ways. Destiny or fate decided us to be. Accept it!" He got her hand
"I decline. I've declined for almost a year. I love you but you love power more. My soul is not complete without yours. It is like we are connected but it feels so disconnected. I don't know why. I don't know why I don't know how. Us. What is there more to us?" She asks
"Us is what's going to change the world. Us is what we both need and you know both of us can't hold back." Tom smiles
"I am resisting your touch, even if I despise but need you. I hate but love you, which is so typical because i don't know what to think you anymore. Do I love you or hate you?" She looked at his face
"Love me. Love me like I'm the last person to ever exist. Love me like someone who wants to be loved. Love me like I do. Just love me, Avella Lestrange. Love me for all I care, you've haunted me in my dreams, like I am under a spell. But that spell is love. Love me, I beg of you have I not proved my worth?" his solemn voice held her hands tighter
"You have proven. But I am still unsure. I am unsure of what to come in our..acquaintanceship" she looked uneasily
"Acquaintanceship is all ' us' means to you?" Tom looked at her betrayed
"What else are we?" Avella looked to the hurt Tom
"I would say we're lovers." He sternly replied
"Lovers? We cannot Tom. How many times? Us cannot go no further. Not as long as you stop your madman business with the Knights of Walpurgis" Avella inhaled
"The Knights of Walpurgis is my noble work. I am not letting that all go away because if you." Riddle got defensive
"See what I mean? Your pride, ego and your passion to kill off the muggles will never die. But I will if you don't stop. Everyone will." Her voice went calm
Tom stood there. Rethinking his whole entire career.
"Be something of the good, like an Auror." She looked at him
"No! I am dark magic, I am someone who is evil. I am evil. You cannot change me. But I can change you. Avella I love you, let me know your true emotions" he put his hands on her shoulders
"You're sick, Tom. Sick out of your mind!" She pushed him away
Soon, the most deadliest passionate kiss swim between the two. Avella felt like she was kissing the devil on the lips. But somehow in a weird way, she liked the feeling. Tom, however, wanted this. He needed her more than anybody or anything. He did love her, he had grown to nurture his true feelings for the girl. He wanted her because of love, lust and power. The kiss wasn't to make someone jealous, it was a kiss of lovers who are now connected.
They broke away.
"See? I'm not as bad as people portray me to be, Avella. Let me have your hand, for mercy I plead for you" he kissed her hand gently
Was she being tempted by the devil? Or was she being tested by the angel?
"If you think for one moment this deadly kiss will change anything, you are most wrong." She said walking back into the house. She didn't feel fury not comfortable. She felt uneasy.
Was this kiss going change everything? Rethinking about Tom Marvolo Riddle? Or rethinking why Avella is good?
———
Heyyy how are you all? I hope you all are okay! Thank you for reading I love you all <3
——MINKSSS