Unexpected Encounters | Tom Riddle

XXII: The Weight of Knowledge

They smirked and laughed while they cast pretty dangerous curses at each other. It didn't seem to bother them. Lilia felt the weight of their laughter settle over her like a shroud. How could she feel so at ease with them when their cruelty mirrored the very people she had fought against? It was a cruel irony: the same hands that offered her warmth and friendship now would, in her time, tear families apart. But she couldn't help it. She needed them, their banter, their camaraderie, because without it, the silence of her memories would drown her.

The Malfoy family had a healer who came to check in on them regularly to make sure they were not sustaining irreparable damage. Every spell they cast felt like a ghost of the war, a chilling reminder of the curses she had seen Death Eaters use on her friends.

She shook when Tom cast a curse on Tiernan, which caused the skin on his hand to start peeling off. It had been the exact spell a death eater had used on Neville in one of their countless encounters. Lilia had spent hours with Hermione in their safehouse, trying to lessen his pain as the curse spread throughout his body. Their only solution had been to cut off the infected limb to prevent it from spreading throughout his body. Lilia had thrown up right after she had performed this operation with Hermione and Madame Pomfrey. They had run out of essence of dittany because there were so many injured people and she had to keep Neville awake even as they amputated his left leg. Neville's screams echoed in her mind, and Lilia had to physically stop herself from retching. She could still smell his blood on her hands, could still feel how sticky it was. She hurried to the mansion and ran upstairs to her bathroom, slamming the door behind her and throwing up bile.

Her 'friends' were the first Death Eaters. The same crazed look burned in their eyes as they hurled curses at one another, no different from the masked figures who had haunted her past.

Lilia made it a point to occlude before each practice. Not only did it sharpen her focus, but it helped her suppress the flood of memories that threatened to consume her. Memories of the loved ones she had lost, lives destroyed by the same people she now called her friends. It was a strange kind of punishment, being surrounded by ghosts disguised as allies. She should have been disgusted with them, their arrogance, their budding cruelty, but instead, she clung to the fleeting moments of normalcy they offered. They made her laugh, and they filled the emptiness that had settled in her since arriving here. She hadn't realized how much she needed them until she risked their friendship by nearly killing Riddle.

It was her greatest flaw: the relentless need to see the good in people, even when it was buried beneath layers of darkness. She ignored the bad, pushed it aside, even as it gnawed at her- a quiet, insistent voice reminding her of who they truly were and who they would become.

Lilia used dark curses too when she dueled with them, and most of her friends were surprised by her methods. They couldn't identify the curses she used; her magic was subtle, rooted in creativity rather than sheer force. She focused on the environment around her, manipulating it to attack indirectly rather than aiming at her opponents. It was her way of ensuring she wouldn't truly harm them. She didn't want to risk altering the course of time.

Her duels with Tom were by far the hardest. He was calm and calculated, wielding his wand with precision that bordered on infuriating. Every flick of his wrist seemed to anticipate her next move, catching her off guard time and again. She knew it was just practice, but it grated on her. How was it fair that he was so skilled when she was the one who had fought for her life in a war?

She fell flat on her back with a loud groan of pain, blood pouring from a deep laceration on the back of her knee, a precise hit from Tom, despite him casting the spell from the front. Her body was littered with scratches and bruises from hours of dodging his relentless attacks. Tom wasn't unscathed either. He had severely underestimated her ability to manipulate the environment. She had weaponized tree roots, soil, grass, and even dew. When she transformed the tiny droplets into razor-sharp blades, they had left countless shallow cuts across his face and upper body, a testament to her ingenuity.

"Giving up already?" Tom asked, an insufferable smirk on his lips as he approached. Lilia sat up, wincing in pain as she stretched her injured leg. Her skirt had ridden up, exposing her thigh where blood streamed down her skin. His eyes flicked briefly to the sight before meeting hers again, his smirk unwavering. "Fuck off, Riddle," she grunted, her tone sharp as she fought through the sting of the wound. "Let me heal it," he offered smoothly, kneeling down beside her. His wand moved expertly over the injury, a soft glow emanating from its tip.

Lilia sat awkwardly, leaning all her weight on her left side, her arms braced against the ground for support. Her leg stretched out in front of her as she tried to stay still, her skirt bunched up just above her knees. Tom's gaze lingered a fraction longer than necessary, but he said nothing. The curve of her body, the slight flush on her cheeks from the exertion, it was distracting, but he refocused on her wound, his jaw tightening subtly.

"All done," he said finally, his voice steady as he stood. "Thanks for offering to help me up," she mumbled, adjusting her skirt and shooting him an irritated look. Tom chuckled lightly and leaned in, his hands gripping her shoulders as he helped her to her feet. The ease with which he lifted her left her momentarily speechless. She was enveloped in the scent of mint, a clean sharpness that made her head spin.

She looked up at him, her cheeks tinged with a blush she couldn't suppress. Tom held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary before releasing her with a smirk. "You're welcome," he murmured, the hint of amusement in his tone almost maddening.

She had never imagined Voldemort, the Voldemort, could be annoyingly charming, but here she was, blushing like a schoolgirl at his proximity.

"You're such a charming prince, aren't you?" Evangeline teased and Tom simply maintained his infuriating expression. Eva looped her arm through Lilia's as they began walking back to the manor. "He just helped me up after he injured me," Lilia protested, rolling her eyes. "Hmm. Explains why you're blushing like a tomato," Evangeline shot back with a grin. "Don't tease her so much, Eva," Celeste interjected, though the amused look she exchanged with Evangeline told Lilia there was more they weren't saying. "What is it?" Lilia asked suspiciously, glancing between the two girls. "Nothing important, Lils. I'm just looking forward to breakfast!" Celeste chirped, her voice deliberately airy as she quickened her pace toward the manor.

Lilia frowned but decided not to press further.

The Malfoy estate was as enchanting as she'd been told. Despite it being December, the gardens were vibrant with life. Flowers bloomed in a riot of colors, their fragrance carried on the crisp air. Birds flitted between the trees, their chirping a gentle melody that should have soothed her.

But all Lilia could think of was how different the garden had been when she had last been brought to the manor. That day, there had been no flowers, no life. The sky had been gray, the plants withered and lifeless. Everything had reflected her own broken state as she endured the torture that still haunted her.

She swallowed hard, the memory tightening her chest as she walked through the vibrant garden. The contrast was jarring, a cruel reminder of how the past and present could coexist so painfully.

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Update as of 06/04/2025

Guys, Unexpected Encounters made it to #1 in #tomriddlelovestory. I'm???? 

THANK YOU SO MUCH OMGGGGGGG I have so many fluffy moments planned between Tom & Lilia <3