January Fourteenth, 1944

lol whoops it's been a while friends,
lots has happened, 
i am older and wiser and yet... i still clearly don't know how to update wattpad. 

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Two weeks had passed since Tom and Arabella had found Sinclair Slytherin in that strange coffin. The woman hadn't said much to them and what little words she did speak were strange and vague- almost as though she had forgotten how. 

Tom could not forget, however, what she said to him. "We are after all, related..." After Sinclair had vanished into the darkness of the tunnel, he tried to go after her but she was gone, hidden by the darkness. All he could talk about on their way back to the Slytherin common room was how his strong suspicions were correct and he was indeed the only living Slytherin heir, related directly to their great founder. He held Arabella's hand tightly and kissed her with such a passion she had never felt. 

Good, she thought, if he stays in this good mood, maybe he will do something about the men who killed my parents. 

And so, for those two weeks, Arabella spoke only of his greatness, of his pure blood- the purest of blood and how he was destined to be the greatest wizard the world had ever seen. She kissed him in the shadows, secretly caught his eye in class and continued to live her life as she had been before they unleashed Salazar Slytherin's dark-haired mystery woman onto the school. 

The great bells rang out, signaling the end of classes for the day. Arabella sighed happily as she packed the books back into her bag and siphoned away the remains of the bubbling potion in the cauldron. Jaelyn helped her tidy. 

"You seem so much better this week Arabella," Jaelyn said smiling. "I'm glad to see you healthy again." Arabella smiled back at Jaelyn and then saw Edmund waiting for her by the door. Jaelyn grinned. "Am I correct in saying he had something to do with it?" 

Jaelyn waved at Edmund who waved back, oblivious to the fact that the two girls were talking about him. Arabella nudged Jaelyn in the ribs playfully and glanced back at Edmund who's cheeks were turning a soft pink. 

He was looking healthier by the day, Arabella noted happily as Edmund approached her. His figure was fuller and his skin was no longer greying and gaunt against his bones. "Good afternoon Sunshine," Edmund said, giving Arabella a quick kiss on the top of her head. 

"Hi Ed," Arabella replied and said a quick goodbye to Jaelyn as she and Edmund turned to walk away. 

The pair walked through the corridors of the lower levels of Hogwarts, content in each other's presence. But something was off. Arabella felt empty, unfulfilled, alone. As much as Edmund made her happy, he couldn't make her love him. Arabella knew what it was. 

She missed Tom. 

She missed his handsome face, his quick wit and the way he held her hand. She noticed how he protected her in the tomb, how he shielded her with his body when the coffin exploded and Sinclair appeared. 

Edmund pinched her arm playfully. "Anyone home?" He said, waving his hand in front of her face.

Arabella smiled, "huh?"

"I asked how your classes are going?"

Arabella shrugged and hummed softly, hating herself for what she was doing to Edmund, and hating herself even more for not truly hating herself at all. 

Maybe she was a monster, like Tom. He saw it... So why couldn't she? 

It was clear to Arabella that she still had a lot to learn about herself and what lay in her heart- if anything. The love potion through which she was conceived had seen to the vast emptiness that had chewed through her chest for her whole life, until Tom. She had to speak to him about it, but had been too scared until now. What if he didn't have the answers she wanted? Or worse, what if he did? 

The lack of sightings of Sinclair Slytherin also was putting her on edge. What was the woman doing? Nothing good, and yet nothing bad. Doubt and fear curled up, sending heat through Arabella's chest to her throat. For now, all she could do was continue classes like normal, focus on growing stronger. 

Focus on hurting the muggles who killed her family. 

"What about you?" Arabella said, squeezing Edmund's hand gently, "You seem so much better." 

"Yeah," said Edmund, grinning, "Pomfrey said I'll be completely healed in a few months but for now, I can start going to classes again. Professor Dumbledore is coaching me in private, to try to make up for what I've missed." 

Arabella heard the bitterness in Edmund's voice and wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed tightly. "I'm sorry." 

Edmund glanced down and placed another kiss on the top of Arabella's head. "I know." 

That was the end of that, and the pair walked in silence. 

The bells rang again, and Arabella suddenly noticed the darkness that had fallen around the castle and the white snow that was falling slowly from the skies above. "It's getting late," she said and glanced to her left where a figure was standing in the shadows, their piercing green eyes glinting in the firelight. "I think I'm going to head to my room." 

Edmund frowned- his brow crinkling, making him look cute and innocent. "What about dinner?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Then I can walk you to the Ravenclaw dorm?"

"It's fine."

"Are you sure? I-"

"I said it was fine, Edmund!" Arabella clenched her fists and snapped suddenly. The heat vanished from her cheeks soon after and she breathed out sharply. "It's fine." 

Edmund didn't say anything and turned away, but Arabella could see his back heave slightly with harsh breaths. He walked quickly away and Arabella watched him vanish. Tom stepped out of the shadows slowly, his dark hair contrasting with the snow beautifully. Like ash on snow. He was wearing his robes slightly disheveled and Arabella could see his lean figure behind the robe. She smiled and extended her arm, brushing his cheek with her fingers softly, his skin warm to her touch. He shivered slightly and with the speed of a hippogriff, had caught her wrist in his hand. Holding her gaze with his electric eyes, he slowly brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. 

"Good evening, beautiful."

Arabella smiled and stepped closer to Tom, her hand still in his. "Always so dramatic." 

Tom merely shrugged and began walking towards the dungeons. "I'm glad you remembered we were meeting tonight," he said as they fell into step with each other. "I was beginning to worry you favoured his presence over my own." 

Rolling her eyes,  Arabella began grinning and spun in circles, as if they were dancing and Tom was spinning her across a dance floor. "This better be worth my time, Tom. I hear the feast was supposed to be superb tonight." 

Tom glanced over at Arabella and found himself genuinely smiling. This scared him more than he could imagine. "It will be. Trust me." 

Arabella glanced at him and despite everything, despite him, she held tightly to his hand. "Ok." 

Tom led her deep down into the depths of Hogwarts, through winding passages and under the lake, she realised, as she noticed water dripping down the stone walls, the drip echoing into the dark. Soon, the fires began to burn brighter on the walls once again and the pair entered a classroom that had clearly been abandoned long ago. There was a gathering. Around ten or fifteen students were waiting, Arabella couldn't tell the difference between flesh and shadow. 

"My Death Eaters," Tom said, ashe entered and immediately a harrowing hush descended on the room as all eyes turned to face Tom as he walked in, pulling Arabella in with him. 

"Our Dark Lord," one boy said and nodded his head, the others murmuring the same. Arabella shivered and Tom, though he did not look at her, squeezed her hand and she felt she could breathe again. 

"The plan still stands. Although the cleansing of the school did not go to plan as we had hoped last year, we are still growing. Growing in strength, growing in numbers, growing in power. I am so close to discovering the origin and purpose of this dark magic, we have heard whisperings about and soon I will use it to further our cause. Slughorn will bend, and he will tell me. I have been good for him this year, he will do well not to forget it." There was hushed laughter from the group as they knew something that Arabella clearly did not. But Tom continued. "Next to me, you know her, is Arabella Caerwyn. She is my equal, my protegee..." Tom faltered for a moment as he struggled to find a word to describe just who Arabella was to him. "My person."

Arabella looked down, heat rushing into her cheeks.

"Together," Tom continued, "we accomplished something you and I have all been unable to achieve for almost a year now. We have discovered the secret of the paintings." 

Tom's Death Eaters exploded into noise as they whistled and yelled and cheered. "What is it?" One yelled. 

"How did you do it?" Another said. 

Tom help his hand up, a small but significant gesture and the room went silent once again. "The story of how is not nearly as exciting as what. The paintings led me to a chamber. It was a tomb and someone woke up. Sinclair Slytherin. She revealed what I have known all along. I am indeed the only living heir of Slytherin. Sinclair vanished but just know she is out there. Waiting or acting- I do not know. But I do know she is not our enemy. She is a friend. Our goals have changed men, focus on that dark magic, discover what it is. It is the key to cleansing our world of mudbloods, blood traitors and putting Muggles in their rightful place." Tom turned to face Arabella then and helped her forward. "Welcome to the future, my Lady." 

Arabella managed to glance at the people in front of her. They were bowing their heads, was that for her? She was beginning to feel lightheaded. This was all beginning to be too much. Was this the future? Was this her future? Why did her chest hurt less in the thought of it? Why couldn't she hate herself more for what she was doing? Why did she feel more accepted in this room than she has in her years of being a student of Hogwarts? 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tom's followers coming up to her and shaking her hand. "Welcome Lady," one said, while another simply said, "Arabella," and shook her hand quickly. 

"Was this worth your evening, dear Arabella?" Tom said, pulling her close. He stroked her face softly and brought his face close to hers. "Still curious?"

Arabella laughed and kissed Tom fiercely. "Teach me how to be great, Tom," she said. "Teach me it all."