The "Angel of Death"
A terrible sensation went down Albus' spine.
His wand started whispering to him and his instincts screamed that somethingwas wrong.
Dark energy has sneaked its way inside his school without him knowing.
Rushing through the corridors and the endless halls he went apparating straight to the Astronomy Tower where he felt the energy of his spell on Olivia activate for only a few minutes before it vanished. Albus sends a secret signal to the rest of the professors with a small note to search outwards and everywhere in the school's ground in hopes that one of them can find the source of energy that made Albus feel something he hasn't felt since his battle with Grindlewald.
Fear.
~**∞**~
Soft pair of footsteps made their way through the opposite side of the school. Their form blended well with the shadows that lurked in every corner, but it's not like they needed to hide anyways. Especially since they had a badge that allows them to roam around the school's quarters freely without questions. Thankful they were to have the privilege of doing this. Such freedom to look at how bright the stars shine in the dead of night.
The footsteps stop right at the courtyard of the school.
The night's air has become chilling and the only provided warmth he has is the Slytherin cloak that swayed gently with the breeze.
He came out to get away from the nightmares.
To get away from his minions.
....
From the monsters that always show themselves to him when he is at his lowest.
His sleeve shirt soaks by the wrist with red warm liquid and there the liquid traveled down connecting itself with the stream of blood coming from his right hand.
He wasn't aware of where he was heading.
He just knew that everything inside hurts.
Having the bond muted was more painful than he thought it would be.
The desire to be near her, to smell the rich senses that he inhaled during the welcoming of the rest of the school, and to know what it feels like to be happy or loved was too much for him to handle.
"Why?"
"Why now?"
"I don't need this..."
"I-"
"I don't deserve this. It's not meant for me."
His heart stings as he says those words out loud for no one but himself to listen. He leans onto the cold stone walls and presses his forehead onto the wall in hopes that it can hold down what feels like a raging fever coming from him.
"I feel like such a fool."
And a fool he did feel.
He knows he is being selfish, that his action is hurting them both.
But he can't help it.
Taking a deep sigh, he leans off the wall and turns to make his way back to where he came until.....
'Wait'...
He slowly moves his head to the side looking towards the door that led to the middle courtyard.
'What is this feeling?'
He clenches a hand to his chest.
'This feels just like when the bond was activated after a long time, but...'
He breathes in trying to focus on the emotions swirling inside him.
His heart was beating much faster than before and it was tugging him to walk toward the door.
As if...
There was someone special waiting for him on the other side...
'But it feels...'
'Different....'
'Yet the same....'
And without knowing he was already standing in front of the door pushing it open feeling the cold breeze intensifies ten-fold. Making his way through the opening and helplessly following the feeling of warmth and protection to the being on the other side of the call guided his feet to stand in front of the figure whose back is to him.
'Is she...an angel?'
He stood with wide eyes as he took a moment to admire and understand the unfamiliar feeling storming inside him.
Happy.
Joyful.
Sad.
Guilty.
But the main one he felt was anger. Although not towards the angelic person before him, but to himself.
And that confused him even more.
'Why am I mad at myself? What the bloody hell did I do?'
The girl had black hair with white tips and as illuminated in the moon's light her black wings flutter gently on the soft grass. The black dress she wore lay on her form perfectly. Tom analyzed her appearance trying to guess how old she is seeing the fact he has never seen her before.
'She must be around my age...'
The girl was touching the flowers that grow from the ground when Tom finally decided to speak to her.
"What are you?"
The soft breeze passed through them as whispers tell him in anger as if he was supposed to know who this person is.
The girl sighs still having her back to him.
"I am human, just like you."
Tom scoffs.
"I am very sure that 'humans' didn't have wings sprouting from their back. So I will ask again or I will call the professors. What are you and what are you doing here?"
She lays her back on the ground looking toward the stars before responding.
Tom's eyes widen in shock when he sees the wings that were once there disappear and was replaces surrounding her form were black feathers that outline where the wings were once at.
"I am many things and I am given many names."
"Names that I didn't ask for but were given to me nonetheless."
"But..."
"If you really want to know..."
"I am the very being that owns the night sky and where darkness is nurtured inside of me..."
As she says that Tom watches with his own eyes as the living flowers that surrounded them slowly started to dry out and decay. The grass was no longer the healthy shade of green and in its place was the rough brown texture of it.
His body betrayed him as he kneeled down gasping for air.
He felt like his life force was being sucked out of him and going towards the girl before him.
'What!!'
He chokes gripping onto the ground while his free hand reaches to his throat.
'What is happening to me!! How!!'
The girl rises to her feet and whatever is it that she was doing - stops.
Tom's reddened face gasps for air as his heart which felt like was going to stop - beats rapidly.
'How the hell does she have this much power?'
"Sorry!" she makes her way to him kneeling in front of him touching the side of his face. Her eyes widen as tears streamed down her face. A mixture of fear and worried covered her as tried to maintain control over her ability. She whispers countless apologies as she closed her eyes tightly but whatever concentration she was attempting to achieve, failed.
His heart even though felt like was coming to a stop.
Even when his arms felt weak and tired.
Did he reach his hand out to her cheek.
"Breathe," he choked out.
His long thin fingers wiped away the tears.
'Comfort her.'
And a storm of protectiveness blossomed from inside him. For whatever the reason may be did the soulmate bond sing and tug his heart string as he lean his forehead to touch hers. His dark eyes looked into her soul of mixed blue with silver. He swallows down the warm feeling that he still doesn't know what it meant especially since this isn't someone he knows.
But he couldn't turn his back on her.
His instincts screamed at him to help.
To save her...
From who, he doesn't know.
The girl closes her eyes focusing on her breathing and allowing her emotions to settle down. Tom watches again in fascination as the plants surrounding them return back to their full glory and how Tom felt the energy that was being sucked out of him return again. Looking down at his own hands and wrist did he see that the injuries he had were finally healed.
"How?" he whispers still in shock at what happened.
The girl grabs a piece of her dress looking away. There Tom can see the long-distant looked filled with nothing but sadness and heartbreak. The fire was rumbling inside of him in anger.
'Who made you sad -'
'Wait!' He shakes the thought away.
'I don't know her. Why should I even care?'
But yet as he glances at her again when she responds, "It's a long story...something that I can't explain..." She hesitates for a moment before looking back at him with a forced smile. "Don't worry you will find out one day, I know for certain."
Tom gives her a confused glance and every part of him is screaming to hold her. To push past and break the walls he knows she is covering her true emotions from the world. But he ignores it all again and asks, "What is your name?"
She opens her mouth.
And closes it again...
She ponders for a moment and closes her eyes to a sad sigh.
Tom looks at her and there he sees some sort of resemblance on her to someone he knows he has seen before...
But he can't put his finger on it.
"Estella.." she hesitates again before continuing, "Estella Caelum."
"Star of Heaven's Sky?" Tom interpreted.
"Your name is in Latin." He mentions out loud and the girl gives out a small chuckle. For whatever reason hearing her laugh made Tom's heart sworn in pride.
"Yeah, well..." she shrugs, "..what can I say? My parents loved that language a lot more than any other apparently." Her eyes glimmered when she looked toward him.
"My name is Tom Riddle," he stretches out a hand for her to grab.
Estella looked at his offering hand and looks back at him before smiling brightly and letting her right hand meet his. The soft texture of feeling her hands upon his made Tom's heart sing in joy...but also in sadness.
'Honestly, these feelings are getting out of hand.'
The clouded warmth rushed between them, as their magical core entwined with each other. Similar yet different did their magic feel. A pouring of power and strength course through them as the ring on his finger even grew warmer the moment her hand meet his.
As if his magic recognizes immediately who Estella is to Tom and not him himself.
But the moment ended just as quickly as it came when the signal of a red flare went up to the sky.
Tom and Estella watch the flame and quickly Tom got up to his feet tightening his grip on her hand. He drags her to the door he entered and through the endless hallways trying his best to hide within the shadows that the night provides. Hearing the shouts and rushed footsteps ahead of them, Tom pushed Estella into an empty classroom closing the door behind him.
The adrenaline was pumping in his veins.
His ring burns in a warning and his instinct itched to grab his wand.
Something terrible must have happened on the schools ground.
And it most definitely has something to do with Estella but...
He inhales shakingly hearing the noise fade away before reaching for her hand again and walking back into the empty hallways making sure not to wake up the sleeping portrays. For he knows he will be doomed if they wake up and see her.
"I will protect you."
He looks back at her seeing her eyes widen in shock and a small sense of fear.
He squeezes his hand for a moment.
"I'll take you where they wouldn't think of finding you."
"And where is that?" Estella whispers.
Their footsteps come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs as they looked at the Slytherin Dormitory entrance.
He then looks back at her and smirks.
"My dormitory."