BlueFalcon




IX. Born from a Wish


December came and the snow fell over the scenery, lying like a cover over the frozen ground. Christmas was getting closer once more, together with the cheery holiday feelings. Beautiful Christmas decorations were spread out all around in the castle to welcome the holiday. I hadn’t found the spirit yet. I never told Tom about what Dumbledore and I discussed. Tom was still on my mind. He confused me at times. Was Dumbledore right? Did I really know Tom as well as I thought I did? Or was he just … born from my wish?

Ruby was sitting in the snow by the lake, watching some younger students ice-skate on the frozen water. Her hands were playing with the golden locket, the gift from Tom, which was hanging around her neck.

“Do you mind?” A voice told her. Ruby looked up and was met by Tom’s dark eyes.

“No, not at all.” Ruby said and Tom sat down beside her. She could feel the warmth of his body and she inched a bit closer. She inhaled his scent. He smelled so good. He followed her gaze out over the frozen lake. The sun set over the ice, its red, burning glow reflecting in the water.

“Did you know that there wasn’t a lake here from the beginning when Hogwarts was founded?” Tom suddenly asked.

“No, I didn’t.”

“It was a gift. From Godric Gryffindor to Rowena Ravenclaw as a token of his affection. She loved water. Or so the legend tells in Hogwarts - A History.” Tom explained.

“That’s very romantic. Imagine conjuring a lake! What happened after that?” Ruby asked and cuddled a bit closer to him.

“Well, according to the book they lived the rest of their lives together in Hogwarts castle.” Tom told her, putting an arm around her and pulling her even closer. 

A smile formed on Ruby’s lips, “So some people really do spend their whole lives together…”

“Yes, some do,” Tom said.

He took her hand in his. Ruby looked up. Their eyes met, and for a second it was like all the darkness in his eyes was gone. In that exact moment she could see his soul. His eyes glowed in a reddish glow.

“I love you.” He said, his voice barely a whisper, but just enough for Ruby to hear him. Something went through her and she broke the eye contact. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe his words, because she did, but did he? He didn’t know how it was to be loved. He had never been.

“Is something wrong?” he asked. She avoided his questioning eyes, thinking about what Dumbledore had said.

“No,” She replied. “Everything is fine.” She looked at the horizon. What if Dumbledore was right? Suddenly Ruby let go and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Tom asked. Ruby shot him a quick glance, her voice darted nervously.

“I have to go.” She replied.

“Alright. Will I see you later?”

Ruby turned around, “Yes, later.”

I had begun to realize what I had to do. I had to end it. It was ending with me. A week later it did…or so I thought…

It was the last day before Christmas. Ruby walked out of the Transfigurations classroom with books in her hands. She saw Tom standing with his Slytherin friends a few metres away. She watched him from afar. His kind smile graced his features as he told Nott something. Ruby took a deep breath to muster up some courage. She walked up to Tom, feeling the others shooting her strange looks.

“Tom? Tom I need to talk to you.” She said, but he didn’t seem to hear her. She walked up behind him and stated his name. This time he heard her.

“Ruby?”

“You don’t respond to your given name anymore?” Ruby asked coldly.

Tom was just about to say something when another sixth year, Wilkes, said, “So this is the little girl you’ve insisted on seeing, Voldemort?” his words were followed by a barking laugh. Ruby shivered by the use of Tom’s nickname Voldemort. She didn’t like it at all and she shot Wilkes an icy glare. Little girl, eh?

Tom looked pretty angrily at Wilkes as well before he turned his attention back to Ruby, “Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

“Yes. Come,” she took his hand and led him to the old muggle studies classroom. No one was using it anymore and a big layer of dust covered the floor. Ruby closed the creaking door behind them.

“I needed to talk to you alone.” She explained, taking another deep breath. Tom gave her a puzzled look. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked. Ruby looked into his eyes, trying to find the right words.

“I don’t know, Tom. Is there? You’re hiding something from me, you can’t deny that! Tell me what you’ve been up to!” Ruby demanded, although she was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him. She had to; otherwise a part of her would never know.

Tom sighed but remained quiet, looking carefully up at her with a pleading look, which had so many times made her melt, but not this time.

“What is wrong?” Ruby asked, her voice failing her. Something shifted in Tom’s eyes.

“Before you judge me about my actions I want you to remember that I did it for you.” Tom said. Ruby covered her ears. She couldn’t take it anymore. It was true. All those horrible accusations were right.

“She looked up at him, her vision blurred from all the tears. Tom’s dark eyes glittered.

Ruby shook her head, her heart acing from all the pain. “No. No, I can’t do this. I can’t be with you anymore.” The last sentence was just a whisper, but judging from Tom’s expression he heard her. He walked up to her and violently grabbed her arms, shaking her. His eyes were glowing in anger.

“NO! You can’t just end it, do you hear me!?! I LOVE YOU!” he spat. Ruby managed to wrench free, backing away from him.

“You don’t know what love is,” she said, her voice darkened with hatred. “You never will. Leave me alone.” she said and left the old classroom. As she closed the door she could hear things break inside. Old dusty things smashing to the ground, but she ignore it. She ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t know why her legs led her to the girl’s lavatory. Maybe because she associated the place with sorrow and pain. She locked herself in Myrtle’s old cubicle and cried, just like Myrtle used to do, and it hurt. She hadn’t been here since Myrtle died.

Her sobs echoed in the lavatory, filling the room with her pain. It felt like the tears would never stop. What would she do know?

“Ruby…? Why are you crying?” a soft voice asked her gently. Ruby dried her eyes and looked up. Her eyes were met by a transparent girl, floating in the air.

“Myrtle?”

Myrtle giggled, “Hi Ruby.” Then suddenly she looked serious. “Why haven’t you visited me?”

Ruby stood up and reached out a hand. Her hand went right through Myrtle’s head.

“You’re dead.” She whispered.

“I’m a ghost, Ruby.” Myrtle told her.

“Why?”

“I thought I’d get back on Olive for all those years of bullying me.” Myrtle let out a small giggle and sighed at the thought of it.

It broke Ruby’s heart to see her best friend as a ghost, and it was all her fault. What had she done?

He never confessed that he had made a Horcrux, but I didn’t need his word. I knew. I think I knew all the time. I don’t know if he knew that I knew about his real secret, but he would. Yes he would. Soon enough he would know.


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