His ( A Tom Riddle Love Story)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Chapter 12

Once we entered, I could feel the heat warming my insides. The Three Broomsticks was warm, crowded, and a bit smoky, but clean and welcoming pub. I noticed a mirror behind the bar that reflected the cozy atmosphere; the drinks that were being laid out on the table were served in glasses and in foaming pewter tankards.

Tom pulled out my chair and sat me down at a table near the end. He sat down opposite of me and grasped my hand. "I want you to taste their Butterbeer. I'm sure you'll find it very refreshing," Tom said.

He ordered and soon a foaming mug of liquid was set in front of me. "Are you not getting anything?" I asked.

"Not thirsty at the moment," Tom said letting go of my hand to allow me to pick up the mug. Its warmness seeped through Tom's gloves and I took a sip.

It was as though my body had become an imaginary heater and the taste of mild butterscotch ran over my taste buds. "This is so amazing, Tom!"

Tom smiled and watched as I enjoyed my tankard of Butterbeer.

"Tom? May I ask you a question?" I asked, placing my empty mug of Butterbeer to the side.

"You don't need to ask my permission to ask me a question, Cindria. What is it?"

"Well, it's er about the whole entire muggle-born thing. Why do you hate them?"

Tom leaned back into his seat, looked down at the table for a minute before looking back at me.

"I have a question for you, Cindria, what if a group of talented people were much more superior then another group of normal people, and that the superior people had to hide away from the world because of their abilities, what would you say to that?"

"Well, it's wrong. I believe that everybody is equal to each other. The talented people shouldn't have to hide themselves and normal people should accept them for who they are."

Tom ran his hand through his hair and smiled slightly at me. "That's where I and you have nothing in common. Look at it this way, we wizards and witches are clearly superior to muggles and we should be the ones ruling over the world, but instead, we hide like fools. I absolutely despise muggles and their inhumane ways of treating us wizards. When I get out of this school, I will rule over them, I will make every last one of them pay for their unworthiness."

I could feel my body growing cold with what Tom was saying, I didn't like that he thought this way.

I didn't like it at all.

"Tom, you can't hate muggles over something they have no control over."

"You don't understand, Cindria. Muggles will be muggles, and they are under us, the same goes for the mud-bloods that crawl around this school. It's utterly shameful how some wizards are capable of blatantly marrying muggles."

"Tom, before my magic abilities came, I was a muggle. Or so I appeared to be."

"You're different, don't compare yourself to those filthy vermins."

"Tom, I'm a muggle-born, does that make me a mud-"

Tom slammed his fist onto the table and I could feel myself flinch and cower away from him.

"You're a half-blood, Cindria," Tom hissed.

"Y-y-yes T-t-tom," I stuttered out, my eyes clouding with tears and my body trembling. We sat for a few minutes in silence before Tom stood up, and for a moment I thought that he was leaving me, which made me tear up even more.

Tom moved and sat beside me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh. Don't cry."

I clutched at his clothing and we sat there for a few more minutes before I pulled away. "Listen, I know you don't understand, and I'm not asking you too. I'm just asking you to stay with me, don't leave me no matter what."

I nodded my head and I could hear Tom sigh in relief.

"There's also another matter I wanna discuss with you," Tom said. I looked up at him in question, wondering what he wanted to talk to me about.

"What do you fear the most?"

"Being hated. Loneliness. Getting abandoned."

"What about death?"

"Well, I suppose death is scary."

"But do you fear it?"

"I guess I do."

"What if I told you there was a way for you to live forever?"

"Immortality? Wouldn't there be a huge price for gaining something so powerful?"

"Well, there is a price to pay, but I believe that gaining immortality is worth anything, even doing the darkest of sins."

"Do you fear death, Tom?"

"I do, but I soon won't."

We sat in silence for a few more minutes before Tom stood up and pulled me along with him. "I have other things to show you." was all he said before dragging me out of the pub and into the cold.

We walked back to the castle and I basked in the warmth of the heat that seemed to radiate from the walls. "Did I ever tell you about my heritage, Cindria?"

"Just a few things about your mum being a witch and your father being a human. Why? Did you learn more?"

Tom smiled, gripping my hand tighter, he pulled me even closer to himself before answering.

"Turns out my mother's last name was Gaunt, and the Gaunt's bloodline is connected to Salazar Slytherin. I'm the Heir of Slytherin through my mother's side. Since I'm the heir, I can open the Chamber of Secrets."

It took me a few minutes to register all the information he had given me and I could feel myself gaping.

"What's the Chamber of Secrets?" I asked.

"I knew you would ask that first," Tom said smiling knowingly. "The Chamber of Secrets was created under the dungeons of Hogwarts by Salazar Slytherin and it's home to an ancient Basilisk. Salazar disagreed with the other Hogwarts founders about the importance of blood purity. When they didn't listen to him, he left the school but before he left, he created a secret chamber, known as the Chamber of Secrets."

"Whoa, that's. ...That's cool." I said while letting Tom pull me down the steps of the stairwell.

"No one knows about it, and if they do know about it, they can't open it unless they're able to speak Parseltongue. Since I'm the heir, I'm able to enter as I please."

"That's amazing, Tom. But what about the Basilisk?"

Tom smiled and pinched my cheek slightly.

"All in good time, Cindria."

We walked in silence after that and I watched as Tom dragged me down to the girl's bathroom. I looked at him in confusion when I saw him open the door and pull me inside with him.

"Tom, this is the girl's lavatory," I said while walking after him. Tom didn't answer me and I watched as he walked to one of the sinks and stood there. I looked at him warily wondering what he was doing before I heard him whisper something and then before my very eyes the sink disappeared and what appeared to be a tube leading down somewhere took its place.

"Let's go." He said while grabbing me and we both slide down the dark tubes and down to an underground passage. Tom helped me up and grabbed my arms as we trudged past bones of what I hoped were not human.

"Tom, how? ...What? You...?" I tried making a sentence but found myself unable to. Tom stopped at a door and turned to me, clearly having something to say.

"You're going to meet my Basilisk right now, his eyes are deadly, though, they kill muggle-borns instantly. I'm going to put a spell on your eyes and as a precaution, I'll tell the basilisk not to look into your eyes, alright?"

"Tom, I don't know if I can do this," I said while looking away from him.

"Cindria, it would mean the world to me."

I nodded my head and Tom took that as a sign to place the eye spell on me. I felt the spell guard my eyes and Tom took my hand again and opened the door.

The Chamber was a huge temple-like room with pillars and carved serpents. There was a massive statue of Salazar Slytherin at the far end of the chamber. I could hear Tom hiss something out and soon I could hear something slither towards.

My heart beat out of my chest as I saw the huge looking snake coming towards us. "Tom." I tried to say but was unable too.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I didn't want to believe what I was seeing, even my nightmares couldn't compare to this. The adrenaline in my veins flew everywhere but I couldn't even manage to move a muscle, not even scream.

I was frozen and forgot how to breathe.

I licked my dry lips and tried to talk again.

"Tom. Please," I whispered unable to tear my eyes away from the serpent.

"Do you wish to pet him?" I heard ask Tom and I couldn't reply. I could feel myself choking, as the Serpent came towards me. I willed myself to take a few steps back but my feet felt like they were stuck to the ground.

I could feel my hands growing sweaty and I soon was becoming breathless.

I was paralyzed with fear.

When my body couldn't get the air it needed, I could feel myself falling to my knees and black dots cloud my vision. I could hear Tom calling my name and I wanted to reach out to him but I couldn't find the energy to do so.

I closed my eyes and welcomed the dark with open arms.

Thank you for reading!