Selective Tom Marvolo Riddle

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[serpent-tongued-lie]

Serpentine Secrets

thestrongestmagic​:

He was as a God to her as he spoke and smiled. It was a smile that would strike terror into the hearts of many but for Bella it was a smile that quickened her blood in a way that could only be called desire. She craved him so deeply that the mere thought of him sliding his hands across her skin, whispering such promises of torture and delights, was enough to leave her panting and wanton even as she writhed on her bed at night, embroiled in the experience her dreams provided. 

She nodded, tearing her thoughts away from that path, returning to Nagini, thankful that there had been justice done. Such beauty should not be contained to a cage as though it, she, were some common animal. The Dark Lord would never have chosen her if she had not been extraordinary because that was what he did. He chose the best of them to serve him in his glorious vision for the future of their broken world. 

She tried not to visibly preen at the compliment that he had paid her. She knew her place beside him and she knew on an primal level that such a place was to be shared with Nagini. They were both brutal, both eager and loyal to the point where death would be preferable to even the whisper of betrayal. 

“She is more than a snake My Lord. I do not know exactly what but there is perception in her eyes, an intelligence.” 

Tom assessed Bella with a pensiveness he exclusively displayed around his inner circle, and only rarely so. It wouldn’t do, after all, for any common follower of his to believe that their perceptiveness and insight exceeded his own even momentarily, and yet, Bellatrix Lestrange had always surpassed the others who had pledged their wands to him, hence it was only appropriate for him to regard and treat her as a witch and confidant superior to them all.

“I find myself intrigued by your bold theory, Bella,” he decided, “hence I shall perform a little experiment here and now. Surely, you will gladly offer a few droplets of your blood for it.”

He knew her well enough not to phrase it as a question and thus question her loyalty unmatched by his other Knights, and when he took her hand in his and cut her palm with a nonverbal cutting hex, his touch and magic were uncharacteristically gentle.

Then, he pointed his wand at Nagini’s mouth so as to extract the same amount of her venom from her fangs, and with a flick, he willed it to merge with Bella’s blood and morph into a crimson mirror.

“Naturam Revelio,” he whispered, and his eyes gleamed with delight in its purest form when for the briefest of moments, Nagini’s reflection assumed the appearance of a beautiful woman.

And while the expression of shock flashing across Nagini’s features did not escape his notice, he was too thrilled to experience any need to reassure or comfort her.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

I know I shouldn't love you but I do

Tom willed his brow to furrow in a feigned display of confusion.

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow,” he said, and his tone, too, was apologetic, almost, effectively concealing his true intentions of gaining as much leverage over the student in front of him as possible that he could make use of at a later point.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

( for Prefect Tom ) * walks around during school hours out of uniform * - A gryffindor 2nd year

Tom clicked his tongue, not having to feign the disapproval expected of him as a Prefect. After all, while he himself had little regard for Hogwarts’s rather restricting rules, a rare brand of idiocy was required for a student to be so devastatingly blatant about it.

“I suggest you head straight to your dormitory and change into the attire you’re expected to wear here at Hogwarts,” he said, and his tone was professional and commanding. “Do keep in mind that I do not give second warnings.”

[serpent-tongued-lie]

“happy father’s day.” 🥺

@kosmogramm

“Thank you, Delphini,” Tom murmured softly, closing the distance between them and brushing his lips against her forehead.

There was, after all, no harm in encouraging her to grow even more attached to him nor was there any harm in rewarding her for the exceptional loyalty she had displayed thus far.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Dear Diary

pureblooded​:

Tom Riddle. Such an ordinary name, a curious one to name a diary. She didn’t find it to be in any degree familiar, not relating to any pureblooded lines she knew of. Perfectly ordinary.

It was good to know he was on her side – though having an enchanted object on one’s side barely had any weight, particularly when it could simply write whatever it wished to support the user’s opinion. Even knowing that, Ginny felt justified in her opinion.

There was a war, she explained, it ended right around the time I was born. It was a bunch of pureblood elitists trying to take hold of wizarding society. At least that’s what she knew of it. The same man that started it has returned from the dead – though I suppose one can’t really return from the dead. He’s just out of hiding I suppose. No one knows how he survived, but he’s back and no one believes it. I mean, except for the Order.

Tom was not at all pleased by the implications of the girl’s words, for they gave birth to theories painting a present he found himself vehemently disapproving of.

There was no doubt in his mind that the wizard she was referring to was the wizard his corporeal counterpart had become, and the probability of the said wizard having failed despite having created additional horcruxes was almost equally high. He had, after all, not appeared at his side after defeat,  hence the only plausible explanation was that there had to be other artifacts with a piece of his soul imbued in them.

He thus had to face the possibility that his counterpart had been careless during the rituals he had performed after the first having resulted in his own creation, that he had proceeded hastily without having conducted a sufficient amount of research, and Tom’s mind couldn’t have been more restless in that moment.

Regardless, he had to write back to the young witch, so as to prevent her from growing suspicious of him.

It is not uncommon for humans to reject the harsh reality until it becomes impossible for them to keep doing so, he therefore wrote. It i indeed unfortunate, however, that their behavior places an additional burden on the few determined not to make the same mistake.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

serpentine  king  &&  queen  .

@dragonthroned​

the  right  to  touch  either  ,  not  only         earned         but    gifted    by  one  another  ,  without  thought  or  question    serpentine  queen    rested  pristine  form  onto  his  lap  .      her  throne   ,  she’d  call  it  .   though  ,  WASN’T  IT  .           no  one  would  dare  to  touch  the  dark  lord  ,  even  gazes  would  not  linger  upon  their  master  for  longer  than  absolutely  ,      positively      necessary  .      lest  their  actions  would  be  taken  as  offensive  ,  and  their  pitiful  lives  ended  by  merciless  hands  .    nagini  ,  on  the  other  hand  would  not  hesitate  to  touch  her  lover  .    even  in  serpentine  ,  PREFERED  ,  form  great  snake  would  lay  curled  around  him  .  or  upon  the  top  of  his  chair  .    wherever  worldserpent  like  form  fit  ,  that  is  .

❛            another    book    to    add    to       your    vast    collection       ,    my   master   .   .   ?              ❜                                  knowledge  without         ambition         was  not  unlike  a  dragon  without  wings  .         &&         how  else  to  spend  their         immortal    life         .      nagini  treassured  knowledge  ,  not  as  much  as  she  took  pride  in  loyality  .    especially  her  own  .   though  knowledge  may  be  just  as  much  ,  if  not  even  more  ,  a  weapon  than  any  blade  .       tom  mustn’t  tell  her  of  his  achievements  ,  his  charms  or  victories  .  SHE  WAS  THERE  .                                  but  to        stroke    his    ego        was  one  of  her  many  duties  ,  wasn’t  it  .                                                                    ❛            i    spent    nearly    all    day    in    the    nearby    woods    ,    my    master    .                 the    snakes    there    call    me    mother    .    .    .         these    tiny    things    .              ❜                                              head  would  gently  rest  against  his  shoulder  .      she  had  spent  the  day  exploring         her    forest         ,   the  woods  she  already  knew  in  and  out  .     oh  ,  but  serpentine  mistress  could  not  help  it  .     even  in  gorgeous  human  body  ,  she  was  a  snake  .      and  nothing  could  be  more  beautiful  than  emerald  scales  in  her  eyes  .   gently  delicate  hand  reaches  for  his  chest  ,  absent  mindedly  caressing  tom  .             let  me  worship  what  is  mine   .   .   .                                                                    ❛            i    still    smell    of    wildflowers   .   .   .              ❜

Tom allowed himself to chuckle, and the sound was deep and mellisonant, for he knew Nagini well enough to tell that she was indulging him. There was only little that escaped his wife’s notice, and whereas others were blinded by his dazzling charm, Nagini alone was capable of standing next to him without losing but a single fragment of her own extraordinary splendor.

When she weaved her enchanting tale, he listened, delighting in the glimpses of a reality he himself had yet to experience and marveling at the additional proof of the fact that, despite how much Nagini and him, they were still complete in their own right.

The mere notion of diminishing Nagini by reducing her to an incomplete half couldn’t have been more repulsive to Tom.

“And yet, the venom you conceal underneath remains as potent as always,” he remarked fondly. “I am not surprised that they have turned to you for guidance. But do tell me: What tales have they carried to your ears? It has, after all, been a while since I could last afford to converse with them myself.”

There was neither bitterness nor envy to be found in Tom’s tone, for his ambitions had always run deep and spread throughout his entire being, leaving little room for small pleasures and other pastimes that did not further his goals.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Boy why thou ruin thy soul

“Am I to understand that you consider yourself an advocate of censorship, then?” Tom asked, deliberately misinterpreting the stranger’s words as he looked up from the ancient book he had been reading. “If accumulating knowledge is a sin, I shall gladly dye my soul in the darkest black.”

[serpent-tongued-lie]

💋 from Lucius

The first 5 Asks to send 💋 get a kiss | 5/5 @pureblooded​

The only reason Tom had personally freed Lucius from the Order’s clutches had been to prevent him from revealing important pieces of intelligence to his enemies under the influence of Veritaserum.

He had presented himself as a noble avenger looking out for his own, and it must have been his bone-deep fear for his life that had clouded Lucius’s judgment enough to regard him as a savior and allow his shoulders to slouch with palpable relief.

Fear, as Tom had recognized, had been Lucius’s most significant driving force for a long time now as well as the root of his disgraceful failures that had been continuing to pile up, and it was not to be conflated with the instinct of self-preservation every Slytherin ought to possess, for unlike the latter trait, fear was a pure weakness rather than a strength.

The very moment they succeeded at apparating to Tom’s manor side-along, Tom’s utter revulsion became apparent on his features, and the non-verbal spell he used to shove Lucius to the ground in front of him was harsh and unforgiving as he towered over him, internally debating on what he intended to do with him.

Then, he smiled, and his handsome features appeared serene and angelic almost as he summoned a beautiful dagger into his hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it before throwing it at Lucius’s feet.

“Go ahead,” he prompted, and after a pause, he added, “Surely you don’t mean to suggest that you deem yourself deserving of a wizard’s death.”

Tom’s implications were clear: If Lucius were to disobey him now, his family would pay the price for his never-ending failures.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Among Serpents

dragonthroned​:

SHE    WORE    FAKE    SMILE    FOR    TOO    LONG    .                          this  expression  suits  her     much    better     .   tom  isn’t  the  only  one  good  at  swooning  ,  she  has  many  rich    ‘     friends     ’    .               (               where    else    would    she    get    all    the    jewelry    from               )               even  borgin         &&         burkes  offered  to  give  nagini  a      special    price      for     ‘      extraordiary      ’     pieces  .                      only    the    best    for    tom’s    girlfriend       ;  they  said  .     and  half  of  wizardry  london  is  waiting  for  them  to  marry  .       the    shallow    lot    .         and  ,  oh  ,  the  muttering  starts  again  .        because  ,  look  ,  the  handsome  tom  riddle  is  picking  nagini  up  .  waiting  in  front  of  the  ministry  .              ONLY    THEN      a  genuine  smile  touched  ruby  lips  .               (               even    snakes    could    smile    sometimes               )               she’d  ask  how  his  day  was  ,  though  mental  conversation  never  stopped   .     she  knew  .       he  knew  ,  too  .       instead  she  leans  close  .                                             ❛                            you    reek    of    that    stuffy    place    .                         ❜                                didn’t  stop  her  from  holding  his  hand  ,  though  .        though  nagini’d  rather  lay  curled  around  him  .      a  mountain  of  scaled  ;  emerald  flesh  surrounding  the  dark  lord  .      but  that’d  have  to  do  for  now  .

Tom allowed himself a chuckle at Nagini’s unique way of conveying her affection, and the sound was deep and warm and melodious. Unlike the other witches (and wizards) infatuated with him, Nagini alone was the one he regarded with genuine fondness and respect, the only one qualified to rule at his side.

It was not desire that had prompted him to intertwine their very minds, to gift her a piece of his own soul, but a bond that ran deeper than their blood itself.

“Ah, that will not do indeed,” he said, interlacing their fingers, and his tone spoke of genuine amusement. “We will have to rectify this as soon as we’re home, won’t we?”

His lips quirked up ever-so-slightly. He was not oblivious to the nature of Nagini’s fancies, and he would gladly indulge her.

He would take her to an idyllic forest, where she was free to be herself, and he would cast a warming charm so as to ensure their comfort as they basked in the company of one another and conversed without any disturbances.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

The Temptation of Knowledge

unabletoforget​:

     Jillian was almost lost staring at the snake before her, studying her every detail. The shine of the light against her scales, her coloring, her size-she was magnificent. Anyone else, even the others inside the house, would have all tried to kill the snake to save themselves or would have tried to escape out of fear. But Jillian couldn’t help how amazed she felt. She was so lost in the almost childlike wonder that she didn’t hear Tom walking out of the shadows off to the side, hadn’t even seen him out of the corner of her eye. That was dangerous in a way, but she was momentarily more distracted than she ever had been before. 

     She didn’t pull her gaze away from Nagini until she heard a familiar voice, turning her head towards it. “My Lord,” she said almost in surprise, not only at having been caught on the ground by him but also because she had never been around him without others present. Even when she had joined his ranks, Rabastan had always been by her side, as though he believed her incapable of speaking to their lord alone. She wondered how long it would take her foolish husband to realize that she was more powerful than him. 

     When he spoke about Nagini she couldn’t help looking back at her, in awe of how close she was. “She’s gorgeous,” she admitted. “I’ve never seen a snake with such pristine coloring before,” she said. “Her pattern is so specific, so unique. Like brush strokes on a canvas,” she mused. She slowly scooted back a bit and nodded her head towards the snake as if to silently tell her she was only going to stand and that she wouldn’t hurt her, slowly rising up onto her feet and brushing off her pants before looking up at the man a few feet from her. 

     “Forgive me if the position in which you found me has brought any offense. She startled me and I lost my footing,” she explained, bowing her head towards him respectfully.

“No offense taken, Jillian,” Tom reassured her, and his pronunciation of her name was akin to a caress, his voice melodious and soft. “In fact, I am most pleased by your conduct in Nagini’s presence. There are only few individuals capable of recognizing her elegance and beauty, and there are even fewer who would have acted as you did, had Nagini caught them off-guard in a similar fashion. Then again, you have always been different from the others, haven’t you?”

And his lips curled up in a smile both enigmatic and enticing.

“I believe we have yet to converse in private, hence if you’d like to join Nagini and myself for a glass of wine, you are most welcome to accompany us to a better-suited setting.”

His focus shifted to Nagini, then, who was equally pleased by Jillian’s respectful treatment of her, by the reverence she displayed, and beckoned her closer with an outstretched hand.

“Come, Nagini,” he whispered in Parseltongue, then headed towards another part of the manor’s garden where there was an elegantly-furnished sitting arrangement waiting for them as soon as Nagini had slithered to his side.

He did not turn around a single time, knowing that Jillian would not be so foolish as to reject his offer.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Secret Mistletoe

musesatyourservice​:

It was never a good night to go out, even under his invisibility cloak if Tom was set to watch the halls; but he thought that tom did it more than he was scheduled to which made it more difficult. He liked to get out of the dorm every once in a while, sometimes trying to figure out what was going on in this damned school but also to get away from the snoring boys. 

He swore when Tom noticed him, he had tried to sneak past, he quickly picked up the cloak from the ground, and folded it up to fit in his back pocket. Once he finally looked up he noticed the tell-tale sign of mistletoe, his cheeks coloring a scarlet red.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about kissing a boy before, and he had kissed girls before. He probably also would never to admit to sometimes thinking about kissing Tom, those were desires, school boy fantasies that he really never dwelled on too much.

His heart beat quicker, pounding in his ears as Tom leaned close; what was he doing? This had to be a dream, he would wake up soon in his own bed in the tower, that was it, Tom would never kiss him, would never be interested in him. And he probably shouldn’t be interested in him either. But as their lips touched he realized that it was more than just a dream, it had the strange note of reality that he couldn’t quite shake.

He let out a small sigh as the other deepened the kiss, Tom was already taller than him and he tried to hold himself up as his knees began to get weak. Certainly this happened to girls, but why was this happening to him? Harry wanted more and leaned forward as Tom pulled his lips away, a small whimper that he would be ashamed of later escaped his lips.

He wanted more, he knew he did, but was Tom teasing him? The other couldn’t really like him, could he? No it was all just because of the mistletoe and he wouldn’t be surprised that Tom would be a good kisser. He groaned as he mentioned the points loss. “C’mon, we’d have both gotten in trouble if a professor caught us…” His cheeks flared red again, as he stopped himself from saying kissing.

When Tom pulled back, there was the hint of a confident smile playing along his lips, for the sound that had escaped Harry’s throat mere moments before had been utterly delectable.

At Harry’s protest, he let out a chuckle, the sound was deep and melodious. “Slytherins like myself do not ‘get caught’, dear Harry,” he murmured.

He did not clarify whether the intended implication was that Tom himself was perfectly happy to break Hogwarts’s stifling rules the very moment they became an inconvenience for him or if he intended to convince Harry that Slytherins like him did not break any rules in the first place; instead, he delighted in the act of keeping him guessing, of remaining an enthralling mystery Harry would always fail to solve, neither of which had proven to be remotely challenging for him.

“Besides, it would not be appropriate for me to give you any kind of preferential treatment.”

This time, his words were a half-truth at best, for he did indeed punish his fellow Slytherins for any actions that brought shame on Salazar Slytherin’s noble House – and he made it a point to demand of them to earn at least twice the amount of points their foolishness had cost them. Only few dared to question his authority, and those who did were rather quick to change their mind.

It was among the reasons Slytherin’s House Cup victory was all but guaranteed at this point, though it was only one of many accomplishments already under Tom’s belt.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

The First Glance

thedarlingmalfoy​:

“Thank you for allowing me to join you.” Christina smiled graciously as she spoke, taking the vacant seat, making sure to look round at all the other boys and greet them in a friendly but deferential manner. She was well aware of her position and standing in the world both as a Malfoy and as a woman. Any one of these boys could potentially become her husband in the future and she wanted to do proud by her house. Christina was also acutely aware of how the boys reacted to her, seeing a few of them falling for her own charms. She had a way of looking at a person when she wanted to that made them feel as though they were the most important person in the world and she did exactly that as she took in the boys, reserving her last smile for Tom. He was the one that she was here for and when he asked the other boys if they knew about the muggle fairy tale and they all shook their heads vehemently. Christina raised her hand to her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. Muggles had their place and their uses and muggle fairy tales were stories of their own ancient pasts as witches and wizards.  

When Tom spoke and agreed with her own internal thoughts, she glanced over at him with a slightly greater appreciation of him. It was clearer even than it had been before that he was a natural leader and that he took that role seriously. He struck her as an academic and, as he continued to speak about the fairy tale, it became evident that he was a gifted storyteller. She could understand why the other boys had been hanging on his every word because that was what she was doing internally. Externally, she leaned forward slightly in her seat, her wrists draped gracefully over the arms of the chair. 

“Despite our wishes, we cannot deny that our history has crossed with that of the muggle world and not always in such a negative manner. I find it rather pleasant and somewhat amusing to think that some of our sacred magics are not as hidden as the statue of secrecy would demand.” It was bold of her to say such a thing in a place where the slightest misinterpretation could result in being expelled from their society. Being disowned was tantamount to death and, in some cases, death was preferred. 

“It appears to be a common vice among the sheeple to conjure a warped version of any unpleasant reality in front of them, to fabricate evidence, so they need not wake from their collective dream. It is why I must strongly advice you, Miss Malfoy, against verbalizing such thoughts in the presence of those will deliberately misinterpret your words and accuse you of betraying your own kind. Fortunately,” he paused briefly, and his lips formed a conspiratorial smile. “everyone assembled here knows better than to take an assessment like ours at face value.”

And he directed a pointed gaze at each of his followers so as to ensure that they were perfectly aware that he would not tolerate any attempt on their part at using Christina Malfoy’s words against her.

As he had expected, the wizards assembled were quick to voice their agreement – both out of a fear to displease Tom and out of a desire to feel even more special.

It would not do, after all, if Abraxas’ loyalty were to decrease due to his sister being targeted by pawns less valuable than him, and it was for that reason that Christina Malfoy’s safety was wholly guaranteed.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Serpents under the Mistletoe

horcrux-made​:

Sometimes Nagini wasn’t able to take human form for very long, she had begun to notice the difficulties her mother had. She had been ignoring the curse screaming at her to have what it wanted, the ability to continue but she wouldn’t force that on a child. So the curse fought her as well sometimes trapping her in her snake form. This was not one of those times – they still happened rarely – and she could enjoy her time with Tom, hold his hand as they walked through the cold.

She was bundled up, her body not accustomed to the cold, but she still liked the sharp beauty of winter. As they entered the shop and the smell of pastries hit her nostrils she let out a contented sigh, eager to choose the pastries that she would like.

He was always sure to treat her, always reminding her just how important she was, he had called her a queen once and she doubted that view had changed.

As the woman laughed she looked up, a little confused, she was always more gentle than Tom, more willing to let snide remarks pass. When she saw the mistletoe however a blush rose to her cheeks, and soon he saw it too. She was always pleased when he kissed her, glad that he wanted to oblige her, but it was rarely in public. They often needed to keep up their appearances for their followers.

Nagini smiled back at him and as he kissed her, her eyelids closed, a soft sigh left her lips when he pulled away, she wanted more than the barely there kiss. “Merry Christmas,” she replied as she kissed him back, her lips pressing a little harder against his own, not caring too much what the lady thought. She spoke quietly against his lips. “If I may be so bold… I would like more of that later, when we get home…”

“How eager you are,” Tom chuckled, the sound rich and mellifluous, and it was by no means a rebuke.

Indeed, he was most pleased by Nagini’s growth, by her increasing confidence and self-esteem. Slowly but surely, she was becoming the witch she was always meant to be, a witch determined to claim and reclaim what he always been hers.

“Now, come, take a seat; we did venture here to celebrate, did we not?”

And having briefly caressed her cheek, he approached the table he had reserved for them, pulled back her chair, and took their coats to the wardrobe as he had originally intended to.

Taking a seat opposite to her, he waited for the elderly lady to bring them the menu.

“Tell me more about your time in France,” he prompted her after he had placed their order. “I’m aware that you didn’t have much time to explore Paris, yet I’d like to know more about your thoughts and feelings about the city itself regardless.”

He was, after all, considering taking her there for a short trip. There were pieces of old literature he intended to obtain, and if he was able to restore another piece of Nagini’s freedom, he would be glad to kill two birds with one stone.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Wings Unfurled

@thestrongestmagic, continued from here: X

(From serpent-tongued-lie, for Narcissa:) "You’ve been crying, I can tell."

thestrongestmagic answered:

Narcissa looked away, not wanting to catch his eye. The fact that he paid enough attention to her to know such things and that he was willing to draw attention to it made her ill at ease. She wasn’t used to it, she wasn’t used to anyone other than Bella caring, not anymore.

“Foolishness on my part.” She replied, not want to go into any further details, slightly uncomfortable. She still felt as though she had to be on her guard around him. He was a grand man with grand ideas and the magical power and lineage to back it up and she was but the youngest, unwanted daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Nobody really wanted Narcissa, if they did, they wanted the idea of her, the image.

Tom hummed. “You may call it foolishness, Miss Black,” he began, “but to me, it is irrefutable proof of your humanity, of an independence of mind allowing you to tell right from wrong. After all, would you truly have cried if you were incapable of recognizing your unjust treatment as such, if you didn’t at least know on a subconscious level that you are capable of being more than a fancy adornment on your fiancé’s arm? So, why do you hesitate?”

He paused, and when he continued, his voice was soft and filled with sympathy. “Have you been diminished and told lies about true value and potential for long enough that the act of questioning itself has become painful to you?”

It was a sign of weakness to allow oneself to be influenced by the opinions and beliefs of the people one had been interacting with, to make oneself smaller to feed their unjustified pride, and were Tom looking for an equal, that alone would have discouraged him from reaching out to Narcissa Black.

And yet, the sharp intellect and perceptiveness he suspected her of possessing were too valuable an asset for him to disregard merely due to a handful of weaknesses that could be eliminated with proper guidance.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Superiority

chaotiicgoods​:

Nagini knew Tom had been kind to her since they had met. He had helped her, more than she had expected. However, she was SCARED. Grindelwald had pretended he could help Credence, too. She had tried to prevent this from happening, so much, but she was alone now. What if Tom was trying to do something similar ? What if she was the one trapped this time ? Credence wasn’t there anymore. She felt so damn lonely. She wished she could trust Tom. But she just couldn’t.

And she became even more ANXIOUS when he mentioned Gellert Grindelwald. Tom had read her thoughts. She knew some wizards could do such a thing, but it annoyed her so much right now. “If you want us to work together, you’ll need to stop reading my thoughts.” Her voice hadn’t been as cold as she wanted it to be. She was back to her human form now, and it was the first time she could talk to someone, like she had done before. She had never been good at trusting people though.

“I’ve lived my entire life being used. People who truly cared about me are gone now. So am I.” She considered herself as an empty vessel now. She had lost too much, had been trapped in that snake’s body for too long. Nothing could erase that. Even her memories from the past were fading. 

“I can assure you that I have done no such thing,” Tom said, his voice soft and patient. “There was no need for me to peer into your mind for me to correctly deduce that individual’s identity. Besides, you are not the first to compare the two of us. People – other than you, that is, for I do not fault you for being wary after what you experienced – can be remarkably simpleminded the very moment the Dark Arts are involved. They like to assume that our decision to wield them is our sole distinguishable trait, and that there is no semblance of individuality among us.”

It hadn’t escaped his notice that Nagini’s tone was neither as cold nor as harsh as her words would have caused one to expect it to be.

“Only a born Legilimens is capable of reading a person’s mind and remain undetected while doing so,” he explained. “In the case of a wizard or witch who had to master the craft first, any target will experience the sensation of the thoughts of memories being read being pulled to the surface. I will not ask you to let me show you, however, though I will gladly point you to some unbiased reading material on this subject if that is what you wish.”

He was rather tempted to declare that he had indeed come to care about her and regarded her with an uncharacteristic fondness, yet he was aware that such words would likely ring hollow to her, and it was for that reason that he said, “Regardless of whether you choose to trust me, I do not like seeing you sad.”

And summoning a book adorned with elaborate silver calligraphy, he offered, “Shall I read to you?”

Tom had, after all, been told again and again that his reading voice was especially pleasant and soothing.

[serpent-tongued-lie]

Hope in the Abyss

chaotiicgoods​:

Nagini couldn’t even remember the last time she had talked to someone. Actually, it had been in her human form, but as a Maledictus, she had ended up fully turned into a snake. It had happened so quickly, so suddenly. Even if she had always known this day would come, but she hadn’t thought it would come this quickly. Or maybe she would have never been ready for this. It just showed her how she truly was a monster, like so many people had thought.

She had heard of Salazar Slytherin before, even if she didn’t know much about him. She had never been an actual witch; her life had been too complicated for that. She wasn’t sure she should open to the other about this though. Even if he was kind to her and talked to her, it didn’t mean she should follow him blindly. On the other hand, she felt like he could be her last ray of HOPE. 

“It’s… been a while since I haven’t actually talked to someone. I’m glad to meet you.” She assured. If she could, she would have probably smiled for the first time in decades, but she couldn’t. She looked at him for a moment. Those dark hair… He was somehow MYSTERIOUS. And he made her think of Credence because of that, but it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about right now. “My name is Nagini.” She could have told him she was a Maledictus, but she wasn’t ready for this either. She wasn’t good at talking; she had never been good at this, but it was worst now. 

“The pleasure is all mine, Nagini,” Tom said smoothly, finding himself intrigued by the fact that the snake in front of him did, in fact, have a name of her own immediately.

It made him want to keep conversing with her even after he had alleviated her discomfort, for he was starting to suspect that Nagini’s observations and thoughts were be downright fascinating.

Even now, he remembered his interactions with Salazar’s Basilisk fondly, and given how he had now confirmed that Nagini’s intellect and level of self-awareness surpassed those of even such an ancient being, he did not hesitate to ask, “Do you have a home?”

He rather doubted it, aware that every snake he had encountered thus far had strongly disliked the cold and would have never traveled willingly on such a frigid winter day.

“If you’d like, you can accompany me to my flat,” he offered, and the smile gracing his lips was more than a mere mask of politeness. “It is not my intention to force you to become my familiar against your will, hence if you require nothing more than a temporary home until the next increase in temperature, I shall respect your decision.”

[serpent-tongued-lie]

His Most Devoted

@thestrongestmagic, continued from here: X

From serpent-tongued-lie, for Bellatrix:) “I’ve seen the way you look at me”

thestrongestmagic answered:

Bella’s smile faltered just for the briefest of moments before her facial expression returned to what had been present before, the smile gracious on her lips. She had thought she had been far more controlled, far less obvious with her adoration of him and yet it seemed that she had been wrong. Bella did not love often but when she did she loved deeply and it was difficult to hide such a thing and she loved him even though she barely knew him. She felt it in her heart. She knew that with every breath she took, she was breathing only for him, that her blood pumped through her body only for him and what he desired in the world. She wanted to be part of his movement, she wanted to serve him with such a desperate longing that it burned so intensely that it felt as though her very soul was on fire.

“And how do you believe I look at you Mr Riddle?” She asked, raising her glass to her lips and taking a sip of the acidic wine.

In that moment, it would have been a child’s play for Tom to utterly humiliate Bellatrix Lestrange, who had turned to look at him as though he were a god, and were it not for the glimpses of her brilliance she had offered thus far, he would have suspected her of clinging to concepts and delusion only suited for feeble minds and mindless sheeple.

And while in the case of any other individual, he would have been content to prey on such sentiments and utilize them to his advantage, there was a part of him that would be all but disappointed, should Bellatrix Lestrange turn out to be the same.

“You look at me as though you were itching to prove yourself to me,” he therefore said, and while his tone carried a hint of amusement, there was nothing condescending about it.

“What would you do if I were to grant you such an opportunity?”