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"Leave, or I will scream!" Victiore who had been awoken out of her slumber by Ted had felt her pulse rising the moment she had seen the limp body of her father Bill Weasley on the floor beside Ted.
"I will not revert him unless needed." Ted answered her calmly.
"Please, stop this madness!" Victiore cried as she sat up straight shaking slightly. "Nothing is wrong with our child!"
Ted shook his head wearily. "That's exactly where you're wrong, Vic. I tried to explain it to you, I tried to get rid of your pregnancy before it was too late but you just didn't understand. This child, it will be nothing short of what your father is or what your ex boyfriend nearly became." He smirked as he saw tears ran down her eyes. As far as he was concerned, fake tears. He knew she had been faithful to him always but every time she had met Tom she had met him with such warmth that he had seen nothing short of admiration for him in her eyes. Admiration that could lead to love at some time. But that was something he could control only Victiore's insistence on keeping this child was something he couldn't control. He smirked at her walked out of her room and locked the room from outside.
He knew he had werewolf gene from his father Remus Lupin, Victiore had it from Bill Weasley, but since both Remus and Bill were not wolves by birth, neither of Victiore or Ted had to deal with this curse but Ted was sure, that their child will most certainly have werewolf gene by birth that would be a lot more active than what either of Ted and Victiore had. He could possibly turn at will. How could he let a child like that come into this world?
He knew that if he tried explaining any of that to the Army or their parents, no one would understand him, they would let this evil ruin their lives but he couldn't let that happen. He had tried to convince Victiore to abort it but she had not agreed. He had then pretended to agree with her but had made several attempts to cause an accidental abortion. He had distracted Harry at the Birthday Party so someone would misfire and hit her accidentally and Hermione had but luckily Victiore had managed to save her child and his last attempt was diffused by Tom who had barged into his house at the last minutes. Then Victiore had discovered his true intentions and deserted him.
Today, he would show her what she was going to bring into this world, what monster she was carrying inside of her. Her own father will show her that. When the full moon will shine at its peak, his stunner will wear off and Bill will spring back to life. Ted will simply make sure she will be the first thing he finds to attack when he does. Tonight, he will bring an end to this.
"Master..."
Twix who had been left alone at Shell Cottage had used a locater spell of his own to find Ted here. He had walked into the open house to see Ted enter Victiore's room with the limp body of Bill Weasley and leave after a couple of minutes without it. He knew Bill Weasley turned on full moons, he had heard Mistress Victiore talk about it with her mother Mistress Fluer. He did not like the idea of Mistress Victiore locked in with Mr. Bill on full moon.
"Leave, Twix." Ted warned Twix who became resolute at his look. Twix had seen several accidents befalling Vic in her entire pregnancy and had saved her from those on several occasions, now he had come to understand who had been causing those.
"Master can't stops Twix!" He had snapped his fingers to apparate inside her room but nothing had happened. He had then started striding towards Ted when Ted had blown him out the window and locked the front door. He had been locked out of the house. He had no idea what to do. He couldn't apparate inside. Perhaps, Harry Potter could. It was his house after all.
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Tom ran to the back of the house looking for windows as Twix tried to unlock the door with his magic. As he got in he found Ted facing him waiting to stop but he wasn't expecting him alone, he would have brought someone to help although no one was here. He would worry about that later. He had to keep the house elf away from Victiore's room. After all, Victiore had chosen this herself, she had chosen to die with the abomination she was about to give birth to.
Tom found the window to her room and closed his eyes. All the pain he had been in had vanished at the howl that had sent shills running down his spine. But as he concentrated to fly he felt a tingling pain in his back. He pushed it aside. He had to get to her. He rose swiftly upwards until he was level with the window to see a full grown werewolf tearing away at the mattress of a double bed underneath which apparently lay hidden what he craved at the moment.
Levitating in mid air, Tom pulled out his wand and pointed it at the window. "Reducto!" The glass came crashing down as the wolf's attention was diverted to him. Tom bent himself forwards like a bullet and flew at it at as much speed as he could gather, grabbed its hairy and stiff torso feeling its feet lift into air, taking it with him away from Victiore. He decided not to stop as the wall of the room came nearer and crashed right through it and through the staircase railing, but just as he did, the wolf growled in pain wrapped its arm around his neck choking him. Tom's concentration broke and he fell in the middle of the Potter House sitting with the wolf underneath him, again crashing into the glass table that Harry had fixed the last time.
As Tom climbed off the wolf and over the debris of glass he saw Twix tied up in a corner of the room. He pulled out his wand and swished it, the magical ropes binding him uncoiled themselves. As he looked about he heard Victiore's voice from upstairs where Ted nearly dragged her out of the room near the edge of the broken fence of the staircase.
"Let her go!" Tom pointed his wand at him.
"As you wish!" Ted smirked and before Tom knew what was happening he had pushed her off the first floor to where he stood. In a fraction of a second he had pocketed his wand and flown upwards. He caught her in mid air safely in her arms as she put her arms around neck trying to hold on.
"I can't believe this!" Ted exclaimed loudly. "You!" He shouted at Tom as Tom levitated in mid air, holding Victiore in his arms. He looked up at him fiercely but his ferocity could not match the disgust he felt at what Ted did next. He shot a stunner at him. It struck his chest and bounced off him shattering a window downstairs. Ted gaped at him. He had forgotten about Tom's extraordinary powers but now he knew. He remembered George telling that only Unforgivable Curses could be used against him. He raised his wand again but before he could do anything else, Twix snapped his fingers and Ted's wand flew out of his fingers.
Tom landed lightly on his feet but just as he was about to put her down she cried in pain. She was having contractions. Without another thought he strode out of the house with Twix in his wake and just as he crossed the yard, he disapparated to St. Mungoes Hospital.
"Are you the husband?" As he admitted her to the ward, the receptionist asked him.
Tom stared at her a moment not knowing what he ought to say.
"Don't worry, deary, she'll be fine, most husbands apparate as exasperated as you are. Now, sign here so the healer can get going, where it says guardian's signature." She handed him a quill. Tom signed quickly and turned to the healers returning after an examination of hers. "Is everything alright?"
"Of course," One of them replied smiling at his anxiety. "You will have your son in your arms in a few hours." Winked at him, and left.
Tom stood rooted to the spot. If only, he could call this child his own son. But he couldn't. He pulled out his pocket watch to find out that it was 2 hours past midnight. He went inside Victiore's ward after he had smartened himself a bit.
"Hey." He said gaining her attention as he saw her staring at space, waiting for the right time as per the instructions of the healers.
She looked at him like she hardly recognized him.
"Everything's fine." He said automatically. He knew whatever he was saying would not make a shred of a difference to her but he still had to make her feel safe. "You're going to be alright, your boy will be fine as well." He managed a smile seeing her eyes well up with tears.
"Boy?" She asked rather tormented at the thought but as he neared her she held up her hand. "Stay away from me. It is a monster, not a boy."
Tom didn't stop, on the contrary, pulled a chair by her bed, sat down and took her face in his hands wiping her tears, "No, it's not. It's going to be a beautiful little boy that will bring love in your world again."
She held his hands and shook her head. "It will destroy everything." She said as he inched himself closer to her taking her face burying it into his chest.
"You are wrong. He will heal you. Trust me." As he said that he felt her patience break and she cried her heart out with her face buried in his chest. He felt every hiccup, he felt every sigh and he felt all the pain that she couldn't stand any longer as his own eyes welled up when she shook in his arms with fear and pain and terror of what had befallen her.
He allowed her to cry in silence, after perhaps hours when she was done, he allowed her to pull away and lie back. As she did, he ran his hand through her hair comforting her in her dire need. She looked at him with red, wet eyes like a child who had been helped out of her misery. "I will always be here for you." Although, he didn't know why he was saying that, what obligation was compelling him to say that but he knew that he wanted to. He knew he had to. "Always."
To his relief she nodded peacefully and held his hand as she closed her eyes finally content that she was safe.
"We shouldn't let her sleep." Tom turned at the quiet voice of Ginny. Harry and Ginny had apparently entered the ward a couple of minutes ago to find Tom here with her and by Harry's expressions had heard what he had just said to her.
He stood up letting go her hand as she herself let go but he looked into her eyes silently trying to convey to her that he wasn't going anywhere.
"I have spoken to the healer. In another hour she will be able to deliver." Ginny said turning to both he and Harry. "You two can wait outside, I will assist the healer if they need me. Until then, I can stay with Vic."
Tom nodded as Harry and he walked out of the ward into the lobby.
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Kumkum Bhagya
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