Chapter Text
“Are you really not going, Tom?” Cecilia pleaded with her boyfriend.
“I told you I’m busy,” Tom replied.
Cecilia pouted. She gave Tom a light kiss on the cheek before they parted ways.
He happened to see Cecilia kissing another man. He was sure he hadn’t imagined it. They were passionately kissing for a long time. Cecilia confessed her love to the man and even said that if she ever managed to swindle Tom, she would run away and live with him. Tom didn’t know what to do about this because his parents would never believe him. Cecilia was such a good actress.
Tom went horseback riding to relieve his stress, but the scorching heat made him even more stressed. Sweat poured down his face. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. The intense heat made him dizzy and disoriented. He felt lightheaded before losing consciousness.
Tom woke up in a dilapidated hut, where a plain-looking young woman was fanning him.
"Are you awake?" she asked, offering him a glass of water. "Drink some water; it'll make you feel better."
"How did I get here?" Tom asked suspiciously.
"You fainted over there," the woman pointed. "So I brought you here. Would you like to go home now, Mr. Riddle?"
Tom frowned. "How do you know my name?"
"Everyone knows you, Mr. Riddle," the woman said, lowering her head. "I see you often."
"And who are you?" Tom asked.
"Merope. Merope Gaunt," the woman replied, still not looking at him.
"Anyway, thank you for helping me," Tom said. He grabbed his wallet and gave her some money.
Merope stepped back. "I didn't help you for anything like that."
Tom was surprised. "Then what do you want?"
"I don't need anything. You're fine now; go home," Merope said.
Tom was confused by the situation but agreed to go home. When he arrived home, Cecilia and her parents were already having dinner with his parents. They scolded Tom for being late, while Cecilia's parents urged them to get married. Tom tried to refuse, claiming he wanted to focus on his work first, until Cecilia's father spoke up:
"My daughter is three months pregnant. Postponing the wedding would be utterly humiliating."
Tom was stunned, his mouth agape. There was no way Cecilia could be pregnant with his baby. He hadn't had any intimate relationship with her.
"How could you do that?" Mrs. Riddle glared at her son. "You have to marry Cecilia within this month."
Tom stood up. "I'm not getting married!" he shouted. "I'm not taking responsibility for someone else's child!"
Tom stomped out of the house, instinctively heading towards Merope's cottage.
Merope heard a knock and opened the door, only to be surprised to see her dream man standing before her.
"May I come in?" Tom pleaded.
Merope nodded, stepping aside to let him in.
Tom looked so distressed that she felt a pang of sorrow as well. He slumped onto the bed, sighing.
"I've made you some tea," Merope said, returning with steaming tea and warm scones.
"Try some," Merope said. "When you're stressed, eating something delicious can make you feel better."
Tom nodded. He took a scone, and the first bite filled his mouth with a sweet, tingling sensation.
"Delicious," Tom said sincerely. He had eaten many exquisite and expensive dishes, but this inexpensive treat tasted surprisingly good.
"I'm glad you like it," Merope said.
Tom took another bite of the scone, his face thoughtful. "Merope," he called.
The young woman startled. "What is it?"
"If I were to ask to stay with you and hire you to cook for me, how much would you charge?"
Merope could hardly believe her ears. Tom Riddle asked to stay with her. He asked to stay with her. My God, was she dreaming?
"Well?" Tom urged when Merope didn't answer.
“Why would you want to stay here?” Merope asked. “This house is cramped and dirty. Your house is much nicer.”
“Peace of mind is more important than a large home,” Tom replied enigmatically. “If you can’t estimate, I’ll give you this much for now.” Tom handed Merope a banknote and slipped it into her hand. “For this month.” Then Tom walked away, leaving Merope staring at the banknote with a puzzled expression. She didn’t understand what this piece of paper was.
Tom had been living in the cottage for several months now. He felt it was more like home than Riddle Manor. No one at the manor knew what he liked to eat, but Merope did. She cooked his favorite dishes. She pampered him more than the servants at home. She cared for him.
“Aren’t you bored?” Merope asked. “Staying in this old cottage all the time.”
“I can’t go anywhere, Merope. If my mother found out…” Tom said sadly.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Both turned to look cautiously.
“I’ll go open it,” Tom said bravely and walked to the door.
“Butler Eric!” Tom exclaimed upon seeing the familiar man.
“Young master must return with me,” Eric said seriously.
“No,” Tom refused firmly. “I will not return. I will never marry Cecilia.”
“Then I will have to use force,” Eric said sternly, moving closer to Tom in a threatening manner.
Tom knew he had no chance against Eric. Not only was Eric bigger and more muscular than him, but he had also studied various martial arts. But he wouldn’t go with him without some fight. He took a fighting stance.
But before either of them could react, a shout of “Stupefy!” A red beam of light shot towards Eric. The butler fell, instantly unconscious. Tom whirled around to see Merope pointing her wand at Eric, her fingers trembling. This was the first time Merope had used magic. All the time she had lived with her bullying father and bullying brother, she had never been able to use magic. But when she had to protect someone she loved, she used it surprisingly well.
“How can you do that?” Tom asked. Both shocked and amazed.
"I am a witch," Merope confessed, lowering her head, bracing for his outburst.
But nothing happened. She risked looking up again. Tom had a thoughtful expression.
"But you've never used magic," Tom said thoughtfully, "all the time we've been together."
"It wasn't necessary," Merope replied. "Just the little chores. But this time it was necessary. He was going to hurt you."
"What you did has given me a decision," Tom said seriously. "Let's run away together."
Merope was stunned, her mouth agape. "Excuse me, Mr. Riddle?"
"Tom," Tom said. "Call me Tom."
"Tom," Merope said uncertainly. "What are you talking about?"
"We'll run away together," Tom said seriously. "I have a small holiday home in the fields of flowers. We can live there together."
"But why…" Merope said, confused.
Tom knelt down on one knee. He took out a silver ring and offered it to her. "Merope. This may not be an expensive diamond ring, but it's the only thing I have right now. Marry me."
Merope was stunned. She could hardly believe her ears. Her dream prince proposed to her. “Are you sure? I’m ugly and poor,” she said.
Tom held her hand. “You’re not ugly at all, Merope. You’re very beautiful in my eyes, and your poverty isn’t a problem at all. I’m practically penniless now, unless you despise me.”
“No, Tom, I’m happy to marry you,” Merope replied.
“Then let’s go." Tom stood up. “To our love nest.”
The two set off together to Tom’s secluded cottage in the fields.
Mary Riddle was devastated when Eric received news of her son, Tom. He had run away from home to live in the shack of tramps, Gaunt. And as if that weren’t enough, he had also eloped with Gaunt’s daughter.
“I will bring Tom back!” Mary declared.
Tom and Merope, unaware of anything, were married in a small church, forging their souls together completely, and after that, they lived happily ever after until Merope became pregnant.
“Don’t lift it,” Tom chided his wife. "You'll fall.”
“You worry about me too much, Tom,” Merope said with a smile. “I’m fine, nothing serious.”
“No, no,” Tom insisted. “You can’t work so hard anymore.” He put his ear to her stomach. “When will the baby start moving?”
Merope chuckled softly, affectionately. “You know, the baby’s not even three months old yet. How could it move?”
“Will the baby look like me or you?” Tom asked.
“I want it to look like you, because I’m ug…” Merope was about to say she was ugly, but seeing her husband’s gaze, she changed her mind. “Not as pretty as you.”
Tom affectionately stroked his wife’s head. “You’re beautiful in your own way.”
They lived happily ever after, unaware that it was the calm before the storm.
Mary finally knew where her son had run off to. She had to get her son back. That Gaunt girl must have seduced her son and claimed to be pregnant with his child to force him to marry her. She was certain the baby wasn’t Tom’s.
“Thank you so much,” she said to the private investigator she had hired to investigate her son.
The investigator bowed before leaving.
Mary called Eric and handed him a letter. She instructed him to deliver the letter to her son. Eric agreed.
It took him less than a day to reach his destination. When he rang the doorbell, he found that it was Gaunt who opened the door.
"I've come to see Mr. Riddle," Eric announced with a haughty air.
"Tom isn't here," Merope said, feeling an intense dislike for the man's demeanor. "Tell me what you want."
Eric scrutinized her from head to toe. "What role do you have here?" he said contemptuously. "A maid, or…" he mouthed silently, "a prostitute."
"I am his wife," Merope said elegantly.
Before anyone could say anything, Tom returned.
"What are you doing here, Eric?" Tom asked disapprovingly. "I told you I wouldn't be coming back."
"The mistress ordered me to bring a letter to you, young Master Riddle," Eric said, handing her the letter.
Tom opened the letter, and his face grew paler and paler.
"What happened, Tom?" Merope asked anxiously.
"My mother is ill," Tom said. "She wants me to come visit her."
Merope frowned. “Can I come with you?”
“No, Merope,” Tom protested. “You’re pregnant. They won’t let you take an airplane. I’ll be quick, I promise. I will be back in less than a week.”
“But…” Merope began, worried. She wanted to stop Tom from going. She had a bad feeling, a premonition, but she didn’t know how to dissuade him. He wanted to see his mom; how could she stop him?
“Don’t worry, I’ll be quick,” Tom promised.
As soon as Tom arrived home, he realized he’d been tricked. His mother was sitting in an armchair, sipping coffee with an elegant demeanor, showing no sign of illness.
"Aren't you sick?” Tom asked, displeased.
“Your mother is sick of heart,” Thomas, Tom’s father, said angrily. “What were you thinking marrying that Gaunt girl when Cecilia is pregnant with your child?”
“Cecilia’s child isn’t mine,” Tom said angrily. “Merope is my baby’s mother. I have to stay and take care of her.” He turned to leave.
“Grab him,” Thomas ordered. Four bodyguards came and restrained Tom.
“Take him to his room, lock the door securely, and don’t let him escape,” Thomas commanded.
The four bodyguards dragged their young master away as their master ordered. Tom struggled and fought, but to no avail.
Thomas and Mary refused to let their son go anywhere alone again. They had men watching him constantly and ordered the wedding preparations to be completed as soon as possible. The wedding between Tom and Cecilia was a lavish affair, perfect in every way, lacking only the happiness of the groom, who wore a sullen expression throughout the ceremony. Nevertheless, everyone praised the couple as a well-matched pair.
Merope waited for her lover for weeks past the due date, but he still hadn't returned. She received news in the newspaper that her husband had remarried. Her heart was shattered. Why had he fallen out of love with her so easily? But when she examined his face in the newspaper carefully, her resentment and bitterness turned to pity. Tom was utterly unwilling to marry that woman. She had to help him. She gathered all her strength to apparate, but because she was pregnant and hadn't used magic in a long time, she apparated to the wrong place. She looked around desperately. She was lost, but she wouldn't give up. She had to find her husband, even if it took years.
Tom reluctantly moved in with Cecilia, but he was clever enough not to openly antagonize her. He began to put on a show of how much he loved Cecilia, causing the people her parents had sent to watch her to gradually disappear one by one.
"I'm going out of town on some business," he told Cecilia, who was lulling Charlotte to sleep.
Cecilia didn't seem surprised. She simply said, "Leave some money for me to buy things."
"Gold digger," Tom thought, but he gave her the money to get rid of the annoyance.
Charlotte started crying again. How irritating in Tom's eyes. The baby was pretty, but she bore no resemblance to the Riddle family or Cecilia. While Cecilia and he both had black hair and brown eyes, this baby had blonde hair and blue eyes. This alone confirmed that the baby was not his. He could only hope his parents would finally see the light.
Tom set off for his vacation home, hoping to find his beloved wife, Merope, waiting for him. She must be furious, but he intended to apologize and explain until she forgave him. Perhaps he would try cooking something to make up for it; she loved to eat.
But he didn't expect to find the house empty upon his arrival. There was no sign of life.
"Merope! Merope!" he shouted. "Where are you?"
He ran around the house frantically, searching every nook and cranny as if searching for a bug, but found no trace of Merope. Not even a letter or anything.
Tom slumped down, exhausted, and began to cry. Where had Merope gone? Where were his wife and baby? Did she think he had abandoned her? Did she hate him? Would he ever get a chance to explain? Where were they? Were they safe? Would anything happen to them? He stood up. He would find her, and he had to find a way to divorce Cecilia. No matter if it took years.
"I don't usually investigate marital cases," Detective John said.
"I beg you," Tom pleaded. "Any price."
Detective John nodded. Riddle was a generous man; he was willing to pay a large sum of money to find his wife and baby and find evidence of Cecilia's infidelity. John liked clients like this. Once they had agreed, they parted ways.
Merope stumbled down the street, unable to find him no matter what she did. Her money was dwindling; even as a witch, she couldn't conjure up wealth. She reluctantly sold her Slytherin locket, her father's prized heirloom, to buy food. For her now, a loaf of bread was worth more than the locket.
She knew her baby longed to be born, but she didn't have enough money for a hospital. Gathering her strength, she walked to the orphanage. A nimble caretaker rushed over to her and helped her inside.
Childbirth was more painful than Merope had imagined. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Mrs. Cole, who had brought her there, stayed close by.
"Push! Push!" Mrs. Cole cheered. "Oh, there he is!"
"It's a boy," said the nurse who had assisted in the delivery. "He's healthy. I'll take him to be washed." She walked away and returned with the baby in her arms. She handed him to Merope.
Merope breastfed her son. Mrs. Cole watched the mother and baby with a thoughtful expression.
"What will you name him?" Mrs. Cole asked gently.
"Tom. "Tom, after his father, and Marvolo, after my father," Merope said without hesitation. They were the people she loved most, even though she might never see them again. His last name is Riddle," she added, gazing at her son with great affection.
"And what will you do now?" Mrs. Cole asked. You have a baby."
"I don't know," Merope said. "I have nowhere to go. I don't know where my husband is. I guess I'll have to leave Tom here, and then I will…" She didn't finish her sentence. The orphanage caretaker interrupted sharply.
"You're not going anywhere, Mrs. Riddle," she said. "The best food for a baby is breast milk, and you're very weak. If you have nowhere to go, then stay here."
"Call me Merope," Merope said. "Wouldn't that be a bother to you?"
"Can you cook?" Mrs. Cole asked.
"Yes," Merope replied, still confused.
"And can you read and write?" Mrs. Cole continued, ignoring Merope's bewilderment.
"Yes," Merope said.
"Then there's no problem. You can come work for me and help take care of these children. We're short on staff. You can be with your baby too. The pay isn't much, but the food and lodging are free. If you're thrifty, you can save up in a few years," Mrs. Cole said.
"But," Merope hesitated, "what about my husband?"
"You can't carry a small baby like this around looking for him," Mrs. Cole said reasonably. "I understand you love and care for him, but you're not alone anymore." "You must think about your son a lot. Stay here until Tom Jr. grows up, until things settle down, then you can go look for him. Or maybe he'll come looking for you himself."
Merope looked at her son's innocent face and made a decision that minute. She had to be a good mother to Tom Jr. . so that when the family was reunited, Tom wouldn't regret choosing her as his wife and the mother of his baby.
"I'll stay here," she said resolutely. "I'll stay and take care of Tom and the other children too."