Chapter 8: Confrontations and Leadership

Riddle slowly opens his eyes to find the other side of the bed empty. He languidly stretches as he sits up. When he glances over to the nightstand, he finds his morning cup of coffee steaming just the way he likes it. A small smile graces his lips as he thinks that this is something he could get used to. The idea of having a slave wife bring him coffee and breakfast each morning, have them cater to his every desire sounded quite pleasant to the young dark lord.

He climbs out of bed and reaches for his robe when he notices a damp spot on his shirt. He studies it for a moment trying to figure out where it could have come from when he remembers that Branwen tends to have nightmares. He had thought they were going away since this project started, but he wondered if he was wrong. It was then that their conversation from the previous night came flooding back to him. A cold rage fills him in a way he thought only Dumbledore could do to him. He can't believe Malfoy has the audacity to order him around, to tell him what he can and can't do, even if indirectly.

He fastens his robe a bit tighter than normal before heading to the quaint dining room. Breakfast was on the table, dished out and waiting for him to eat. It smells like paradise to him. He is admittedly surprised at how far his faux wife's skills have come in just a few weeks. They went from being nauseating to positively delectable.

This morning she made cheesy scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, hashbrowns and toast to top it off. His newspaper was waiting for him in his chair. Branwen was writing in her journal, her hair in a disheveled bun while distractedly eating her breakfast. He admits to himself for the first time that there is something about her that draws him in, that she is quite pleasing to the eye.

He watches her for a moment longer, imagining a future he wasn't sure fit into his plans, before approaching the table. She looks up at him, startled, before giving him a small smile in way of greeting. They were eating in silence lost in their own thoughts for a while. Riddle wasn't quite sure what the best way to ask the question on his mind. In the end, he decides it is best just to be blunt.

"Branwen, I don't mean to bring up an undesirable topic, but are your nightmares back?" Branwen chokes on the bite of food in her mouth before washing it down with a swig of coffee.

"No, actually I haven't been having them lately." she gives him a curious look before continuing, "Why do you ask?" In response, he opens up his robe enough to show her the damp spot on his chest. He forces his face to look concerned.

"Are you sure they aren't back? I don't mean to pry, I am simply asking to see if I can help." With a blush creeping up her face she shakes her head.

"No they aren't back. I wasn't having nightmares last night. I was having memory flashbacks of times long gone. I am sorry for crying all over your shirt." Riddle was confused. How could memory flashbacks make her sad if they were things she knew would never happen again? Shouldn't that make her happy?

"I don't understand. Shouldn't you be happy those things never happen again?" Branwen is taken back at first until she realizes he is serious. She shakes her head in response.

"If they were bad memories, yes you would be right. The memories from last night were good ones. Don't you have happy memories that you wish you could revisit?" His face became a cold mask, but this time she saw something different in it; she saw the loneliness, the pain.

"No. I can't say I do."Her heart tightens at the thought of someone having no truly happy moments in their past. She swore to herself that by the end of the year she would give him at least one such moment for him to cherish for the rest of his life until he found someone he could make more with. Without even realizing it, she stood up and began walking over to him. Riddle was watching her with weary eyes as she approached him. She bent down, hesitating, before grabbing his chin and giving him a chaste kiss. Tom was too stunned to think let alone respond. When she pulled away, a light blush graced her cheeks.

"Why did you do that?" She gave him a secretive smile with a knowing look in her eyes.

"You will understand one day." With that she grabbed the food and put it away, setting the dishes to wash themselves before heading to the room to get ready for school.

Tom sat there watching her, shocked, confused and bewildered by her action. Once she left the room, he lifted his fingers and traced them across his lower lip. This wasn't his first kiss, let alone their first shared, but that was the first time she had willingly kissed him. Just when he thought he had her figured out a bludger would hit him out of nowhere.

He shook his head before heading down the hall to grab his things. Right as he walked into the room, Branwen walked out of the bathroom, still dry, wrapped in a towel. He watched the blush slowly creeped up her body and disappear into her hairline. His attention focused on the newly formed bruises on her upper arms. He had a good idea where they came from, and it made his temper spike. He hid it well, and gave her a questioning look. She glanced down before giving a nervous laugh.

"You wouldn't believe how clutzy I am. I fell last night while you were at work in the living room and hit my arm on the table and the lamp fell and hit my other arm. Crazy, right?" They both knew she was lying but he went along with it. In all their time together, he had never once seen her stumble, let alone trip and fall. She actually moved quite gracefully now that he thought about it. Funny how he only just noticed. He decided he would ask around about her falling and tripping habits to confirm his theory.

They finished getting ready for the day, the air filled with the strained tension of the lies and secrets floating around. Once Branwen had left the room, he wrote a note to Malfoy telling him they needed to meet after breakfast to duscuss his initiation. He let out a dark chuckle as he pocketed the note and headed towards the front door where Branwen was waiting for him.

As usual, he reached for the scarf Branwen had made for him. He despises the thing, but in order not to draw attention to himself and his extra curricular activities, he had to be the model student. In it's own way, he had to admit to himself it is charming and precious in its own way. It is the first handmade gift, actually the first gift he has ever received. He still has every intention of burning the thing as soon as the school year ends, but until then, he would cherish it.

He grabs her schoolbag and books from her much like he always does. Just as she goes to open the door, he pushes it closed. She looks up at him confused.

"I won't be walking you to class this morning." She looks at him while it slowly dawns on her. Her eyes widen in fear when she realizes why.

"Oh Tom, please don't do this! It will only make things worse." he leans forward to kiss her forehead, grabs her chin and looks her in the eyes.

"Do you trust me?" Branwen slowly nods her head.

"You haven't given me a reason not to trust you." Tom's eyes widen slightly at her honesty. She didn't quite say yes, but she didn't say no.

"Then give me a chance to fix this my way. If it doesn't work, we will do things your way, ok?" She takes a deep breath and loops her arm through his in way of consenting. They left without another word on the matter. When they were outside the great hall, he handed her back her things, hoping his eyes conveyed a comforting message. With that, they parted ways and Branwen went to sit by Barb and Weasley.

James noticed her heading towards them, stood and took her books from her arms. Barbara jumped into them with a big hug.

"Hey you! Where is Riddle? Why isn't he with you? Are you guys in a fight?" Branwen held up her hand to stop the never ending string of questions she knew were coming.

"Hello to you too. Tom has things to do this morning. No we didn't get in a fight. Now can we please sit before you hound me with more questions?" She laughed as they headed back to where they had been sitting. Branwen glanced over at the Slytherin table for Malfoy to see him watching her. She looked away as they sat down.

"Did Ayana come talk to you yet?" Branwen nodded her head.

"She did. She arrived right when Riddle was leaving for work." She paused before continuing, "And shortly after she left, Malfoy stopped by for a visit." She glanced over at Malfoy, who was laughing and smirking when he caught her looking at him.

"What happened?"

"He told me that Riddle isn't allowed to touch me anymore, then kissed me goodbye."

"That's it?" Barb didn't believe her for even a second. Branwen kept reassuring her that is all that happened. She glanced back over at Abraxas when a note appeared in his lap. He waved it around and got up, leaving his laughing croonies behind as he left the great hall. Branwen sent up a silent prayer that everything works out like Riddle said it will.

Tom waited for Malfoy in one of the empty dungeon classrooms in the shadows when he appeared. Malfoy walked to the center of the room and looked around before spotting Riddle sitting in the teacher's chair, legs crossed, chin perched on his intertwined hands.

"Finally going to let me join Riddle?" Tom just glances over him, waiting for the silence to become that uncomfortable kind that had Malfoy squirming.

"Do you truly wish to join, or do you just want the title of belonging?" He paused as he stood and slowly walked over to Malfoy like a predator approaching its prey. "Are you really willing to dedicate your life, your family to serve in this group? Are you willing to bare the mark for the rest of your life?"

Malfoy lets out a nervous chuckle. "This is just a silly school group. No need to be so melodramatic Riddle." Tom gives a dark smirk and a menacing chuckle as he pauses in front of a window.

"This group is much more than that. It's a lifestyle that begins in school."

"Yeah, okay Riddle. Yes I am willing to do all you have said, bare the mark, and have the family join." Malfoy said, not believing Tom a bit, but admittedly he was nervous, if only slightly. Riddle was creepy, and the setting he chose didn't help any. Riddle Hd been working on a mark to put on his followers for quite some time, but had yet to test it out. He looked over at Malfoy, deciding he would be the guinea pig.

"Before you can officialy join, we must make sure you understand the ranking, and your place in it." He approaches him, hands folded behind his back as he slowly circles him. "Who is in charge?"

"You are I assume." Tom pauses and looks at him.

"You assume? What makes you doubt that?"

"Everyone else is known for being in the group, but you aren't ever in trouble, hell nobody even knows that you are a part of the group." Riddle smirks.

"I pull the strings in the shadows. It isn't my time to come out into the light, but the time will come where my name will be known." He pauses before continuing, "For the time being, I will remain in the shadows. I need you to vow you and your family's loyalty to me." Malfoy rolls his eyes before raising his right hand.

"I, Abraxas Malfoy, vow to follow you, to keep your secret, to raise me family to be a part of the group, and to bare the mark of the group." Tom nods his acceptance of the vow.

"Very good. Now I have one last thing I wish to ask you." Malfoy nods his head for him to continue, "If I am in charge, and you belong to me, then do all of your belongings become mine?"

Malfoy looks at him confused, as if Riddle has lost his marbles. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Because you, much like everyone else who is in the group, belong to me. You will do my bidding. You and everything that is yours is now mine." Malfoy goes to argue only to suffer the cruciatus curse. He screams out in agony, finally yelling his agreement.

"Very good Malfoy." He lifts the curse and puts the dark mark on his arm. He cries out in pain, tears running down his face. Once the mark is in place, Tom gives him a moment to breathe before putting him under the cruciatus curse again.

"Do you know why you are being punished Malfoy?" He asks during a pause in the curse. Malfoy shakes his head.

"No? Well let me enlighten you. You overstepped your boundaries. You belong to me. Branwen belongs to me, for the rest of the year, and the rest of your life. The next time you bark out orders, demands, or threats," He pauses as he lets out a dark chuckle before continuing, "The dementor's kiss will seem like a gift compared to what I will do to you." He goes to walk away but pauses before he reaches the door.

"Oh, Malfoy, I expect you to apologize to Branwen before lunch, or there will be consequences that will make this seem like child's play." He walks out of the room as he says, "Welcome to the death eaters."

"I still can't believe it." Ayana said. School had ended for the day, the guys were at work, so Barb and Ayana came over for drinks and studying. The other two nodded their heads in agreement.

"Neither can I. Why do you think he apologized to you? It can't be because he had a change of heart. Guys don't have one that quickly." Branwen fidgeted in her seat, taking a gulp of the butterbeer they were drinking.

"I think I know why." Her friends looked at her, waiting for her to tell them. She took a deep breath before she continued, "Tom said he was going to talk to Malfoy."

"Why would he say that? Did you tell him that he stopped by last night or something?" Branwen nodded.

"I didn't know what else to do. He came home before I could collect myself properly, so I told him. That's why he wasn't with me this morning." Barb seemed to put it all together in her head.

"That's why Malfoy had that obnoxious smirk on his face when he left the great hall this morning, but he wasn't expecting Riddle to best him." They all sat there in silence, but a frown came across Ayana's face.

"But what could he have done or said to my brother to make him apologize? Abraxas isn't known for being reasonable." They nodded but no one really had an answer. They changed the subject to happier topics such as the upcoming dates, the marriage class, regular school work and such. A few hours later, the girls left Branwen to work on household things and school work. She wrote in her journal for a bit before going to the basket by the fireplace to grab the yarn and finish the scarf for Riddle.

When she finished it, she held it up to inspect her work. The stitching was perfect, but she felt like it was missing something. She looked at the ends, and came up with a brilliant idea. She decided to put a snake with his name embroidered on one end to symbolize his sly, cunning side and a lion with a yin yang sign on the other to symbolize his strong, brave, protective side. She knew the lion wouldn't make sense to him, but to her, that is who he could be, when he so chose to be. She hoped that one day, he would look back on it and see what she sees in him.

Riddle comes home a few hours later, right before three in the morning to find Branwen asleep on the couch, the scarf unfinished and abandoned on the floor. He looks at the dining room table to find his dinner ready and waiting for him. He looks back down at her and notices she is sleeping peacefully for the first time without him holding her in one way shape or form.

He walks over to her quietly and grabs the notes and project on the floor thinking they are for Malfoy. He looks at the designs and is astonished to see his name. His chest gets this funny feeling that he isn't sure about but he shrugs it away as he put everything in her basket and bent down to pick Branwen up. He carries her to the bedroom and gently sets her down after pulling back the covers. She begins to stir as he sets her down on the bed. She looks up at him with sleepy eyes and asks the question that has plagued her mind all day.

"Did you make Malfoy apologize to me?"

"Yes I did." A sleepy smile graces her lips.

"Thank you Tom." He pulls the covers up over her and bends to tuck them in. Right before he pulls away, she reaches her hand up and strokes his hair mumbling so quietly, he had to bend down to hear her words.

"I wish I could take away all of your loneliness and pain, but that wouldn't be enough to repay you for what you have done for me." With that she falls asleep, leaving Tom with a lot more questions than he had answers.

A/N: Hello my dear readers! I couldn't let the year end without posting one last chapter for both of my stories. The Koga chapter will be posted within the next 48 hours, be patient with me! I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think! Is Tom staying in character, or do you think he is being too soft? LET ME KNOW! I want to make this story an amazing read for you all. Ta ta until 2015!