Knowing Too Much

Chapter Three:

Alia was numb. She had been since she had returned from the hospital wing an hour ago, but that was before she had time to think about it all...

Before she had to face him.

Now it seemed impossible to hide any longer - now he was walking towards her, smiling pleasantly, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Alia realized, heart throbbing, that for him maybe nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Hey, Ali," Tom said, sitting down next to her. Alia forced a weak smile. "You feeling better?" Tom continued.

A nod.

Tom's grin faded. "What's wrong?" he asked. Alia swallowed hard. She had never been able to lie to him. He'd known her too long.

"I - I..." she stumbled over the words, and tears stung her eyes.

"Ali," he put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Alia tried to breath, but she felt as though someone had punctured her lungs... and her heart.

"No," she whispered finally, as loud as she could manage. Her voice shook. She swallowed again. "Tom..." she said, looking away. "I know... about the Chamber of Secrets..."

She glanced up quickly, in time to see a spasm of fear cross his face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Alia," he said quietly, voice slightly cold.

Alia felt her fear turn to anger. "Don't lie to me, Tom," she said quietly. "Don't,"

"Alia -"

"Please," Alia whimpered. "I saw you,"

Tom seemed to be doing some quick thinking. "Alia, you don't know what you saw,"

"Then tell me,"

"I already did: nothing! Ali, don't be stupid," Tom stoked her cheek; but tears filled her eyes again, and she pushed his hand away.

"I'm tired," she lied, getting to her feet, and running up the stone steps to her dormitory before he could stop her.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Everyone in the room stared at her, then glanced at Tom.

Everyone knew that Tom Riddle and Alia Frost never fought.

Never.

***

Alia looked up, and saw Tom across the room. He was watching her intently. She bit her lip, and looked away, still angry that he would lie to her.

Turning back to her work, she didn't notice him until he was right beside her.

She looked up. "What?" she demanded, an edge of irritation in her voice. Her gray glare meeting his eyes.

Tom didn't say anything. Instead, he dropped a note on the table, and walked away in direction of a group of his friends.

Alia unfolded the note. Inside, the message was brief.

Meet me in the Entrance Hall at midnight.

She quickly folded it, making sure no one had seen it, and then she glanced towards Tom. He didn't look back.

***

Alia made her way towards the entrance hall carefully, narrowly avoiding teachers and Peeves the Poltergeist twice.

She saw Tom off in a shadowy corner of the Entrance Hall, and when he saw her, he put a finger to his lips, and motioned for her to follow him outside onto the grounds.

"Tom, what's going on?" Alia asked the moment the two of them stepped onto the grounds and closed the doors to the castle.

Tom didn't reply.

"Tom," Alia put a hand on his arm, and he turned to face her. A haunting look filled his eyes, somehow far away, yet... Alia couldn't describe it or place it.

He took a deep breath, and spoke softly. "I thought about what you asked me last night," he said quietly, and Alia nodded to show she was listening to him. "And... you were right on target,"

Alia blinked back tears. "But Tom... why? Why would you attack those people... for what purpose?"

"Ali, I told you before. It's their kind that's made us miserable for the past sixteen years. It's their kind that's pushed us aside, treated us badly..." he trailed off, eyes glazed.

Alia took a small step back. "They're still human..." she whispered, voice shaking with fear.

Tom's eyes flashed. "Human? What does that matter?" he snapped. "Human... look at your father, look at my father! Human, but that doesn't make what they've done right!"

His voice was cold, sharp - a way he had never spoken to Alia before, even when he was angry. She shrank back in fear.

Seeing her terrified expression, Tom's gaze softened slightly.

"But... Tom, just because it was their kind... those muggles... it doesn't make it those students' fault..." her whole body quaked under the glare he aimed in her direction.

Alia looked away, tears filling her eyes. There was a moment of silence. She took a shaky breath, and turned to face him again.

What she saw made her heart stop.

Tom had his wand out, pointing it directly at her.

"Tom... what are you doing?" she whispered, terror filling her.

"I told you long ago, Ali, knowing too much is suicide," He said quietly, wand still pointed at the frightened girl.

"Tom... what...?"

Tom raised the wand slightly.

"I told you to be careful, not to try to figure anything out. I told you it was dangerous. I warned you,"

Alia opened her mouth to speak, but horror burned her throat, and she couldn't utter a word.

"I told you that you would have to be careful, keep a low profile. I told you that you'd have to be careful not to find out anything, because if you did, you'd put yourself in danger... and now you have," Tom continued quietly.

Alia stumbled back, falling to the ground, and Tom took a step forward.

"I can't have you jeopardizing years of work, Ali. I can't have you ruining all of this just because of what you know," He said, tone showing no pity.

"No... you wouldn't... you can't mean..." Alia whispered, fear taking her over.

"You realize what I mean, Alia. You know that you need to die," he spoke so calmly Alia felt as though she must be hearing the wrong words, or that this was some bizarre nightmare.

"Tom, please!" she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. She pushed herself off the ground and to her feet. "Tom, it's me, Ali, you wouldn't... kill me, would you?" she whispered.

Tom didn't say anything, just watched her.

Alia stepped forward, and kissed him tenderly. "You wouldn't..." she whispered in his ear as she drew back.

Tom watched her for a moment, motionless. Then, he reached out and with his free hand brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, stroking her cheek.

"Please," Alia whispered. "Please don't do this,"

Tom's expression remained blank. He leaned forward; planting a kiss on her lips, then drew back.

Alia felt momentary relief.

He wasn't going to kill her. Not Tom. He cared. She was safe.

And then, the relief was scattered to the winds.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, raising his wand. "Good bye, Ali,"

Alia screamed, and at the same time, Tom raised his wand, and quietly - almost sadly - spoke the deadly curse.

Alia's body hit the ground with a soft thump!

Her eyes remained wide open, gray, tear-filled, and piercing, full of terror. Her mouth opened slightly in a now silent scream.

Tom knelt down beside her, studying her expression for a long time, before he raised her head gently with one hand, and kissed her lips gently. Her body temperature was already dropping rapidly, he noted.

THE END