#dark tom

The Darkness Sings to Her by Ariel_Riddle (E, Mermaid AU, 6K)

Summary:

She was always watching him.

From beneath the cover of the water, or from behind a rock a ways from the shore, she would find herself lurking behind the waves and sneaking surreptitious glances whenever she could.

King of Nothing by NinjaFairy (E, Cruel Prince AU, 7K)

Summary:

As a child, strange creatures visited me. The left me gifts, sung me songs; they adored me. One day, an odd boy arrives and vows his revenge on me, then vanishes without a trace. Years go by, and on Samhain night, I wake up to a fey nightmare. I will do anything to survive this labyrinth. Anything. I wonder if he knows that.

[Tomione. The Cruel Prince AU.]

The Heir From District 2 by PenelopeGrace (E, Hunger Games AU, 16K)

Summary:

They thought he would win.

Hunger Games AU + District 2!Tom Riddle + District 12!Hermione Granger

Murky Waters by Nekositting (E, psychological thriller, 28K)

Summary:

“Do I frighten you?”

Lips pressed against her ear, an arctic wind settling over her spine. It drained her of her warmth, left her with nothing but the chill its words only could evoke in her.

“Good—”

Hermione’s vision swam, the constant flow of water along her back dissipating into nothing. It was as if she’d been stripped bare. Unmade in that moment. She was only consciousness, only a mind wading through the nebulous unknown.

       𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝐭𝐡

Are you there, Tom?

𝚼𝖊𝖘 – 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙’𝖘 𝖜𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖌?

Why do you ask?

𝚼𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖘 𝖔𝖋𝖋.

Should have known you’d notice.

𝓓𝖎𝖉 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖓?

Well, you remember Malfoy the pureblood git from the other day?

𝓜𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖚𝖗𝖊𝖉𝖑𝛄.

I may or may not have sent him to the Hospital Wing.

𝓘 𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝛄.

We were practicing duelling in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and he was saying some really nasty things about this Gryffindor girl (she’s Muggle-born), so when it was our turn to duel each other I broke his nose.

𝚼𝖔𝖚 𝖇𝖗𝖔𝛋𝖊 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖘𝖊?

Got him with a modified Confringo Hex, if you add 'ostana' as a suffix it’ll shatter bone from beneath the skin. His whole nose turned purple and swelled up without a drop of blood to be seen. Snape gave me another detention but honestly I think he was sort of begrudgingly impressed.

𝓦𝖍𝖔 𝖙𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙?

Confringo? It’s O.W.L. level.

𝓝𝖔, 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓.

I made that up.

Tom?

𝓣𝖍𝖆𝖙’𝖘 𝖆 𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖈𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊.

Are you surprised? I’m sure I’ve told you I like duelling.

𝚼𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖑𝛄 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊. 𝓐𝖕𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝖒𝛄 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖊𝖑𝖘𝖊𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊.

Ugh I’m being called to Dumbledore’s office, Malfoy’s really throwing a tantrum about the duel.

𝓗𝖔𝖜 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖍.

I expect he’ll try to have his father get me expelled.  

𝓦𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖓’𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙.

Are you alright?

𝓞𝖋 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊. 𝓦𝖍𝛄 𝖉𝖔 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖘𝛋?

You seem a little distracted.

Are you still there?

𝓘’𝖒 𝖆𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖉 𝓘’𝖑𝖑 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖚𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊. 𝓑𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖑𝖚𝖈𝛋 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝛄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌.

Alright… hope you’re ok.

       𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡

Do you think it’s strange that the Wizarding world uses owls to send mail? We can Apparate, Floo, and even fly faster than it takes an owl to deliver a letter, if you’ve got the right broomstick.

𝓞𝖜𝖑𝖘 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖑𝛄 𝖎𝖒𝖒𝖚𝖓𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖘 𝖙𝛄𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖓𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖍𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖘 𝖒𝖆𝛋𝖊 𝓐𝖕𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝓕𝖑𝖔𝖔 𝓝𝖊𝖙𝖜𝖔𝖗𝛋 𝖈𝖚𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊. 𝓟𝖑𝖚𝖘 𝖎𝖙'𝖘 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖙.

Yes but in the Muggle world I can send a letter to the other side of the planet in a few days. The same letter would take at least a month by owl.

𝓘𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖈? 𝓘 𝖎𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖙𝖆𝛋𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖜 𝖉𝖆𝛄𝖘.

Probably not more than a week if you paid extra shipping. Planes are pretty fast, Tom.

𝓘’𝖛𝖊 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖇𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝖔𝖓𝖊.

Well I have, and I think it’s a bit weird that the magical world’s sort of lagging behind a bit. Honestly I could just send an email and it would get to where I’d need it to go instantly.

𝓘’𝖒 𝖆𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖉 𝓘 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝛋𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖊𝖆𝖓.

What year did you cast that Mirroring spell on your diary again?

𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟑.

Well, there’s all this new technology coming out that lets you communicate instantly with anyone else on the planet, so long as they’ve also got access to the internet. It lets you send messages, and photos, and music, and I think you can even use it for research since it can access papers and books and things. Sort of like me writing in this diary, but if you knew absolutely everything in the universe and I could talk to lots of different people at once.

𝓘 𝖘𝖊𝖊.

Was that a boring explanation?

𝓝𝖔𝖙 𝖆𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖑.

You don’t seem particularly enthused.

𝓘 𝖆𝖉𝖒𝖎𝖙 𝓘 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖆 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖋𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝓜𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝓜𝖚𝖌𝖌𝖑𝖊.

Well if you’re from 1943 that’s not so hard to understand. The Muggle world was a bit in shambles back then.

𝓣𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖕𝖚𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖙 𝖛𝖊𝖗𝛄, 𝖛𝖊𝖗𝛄 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖑𝛄.

How so?

𝓦𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖌𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖔𝖔 𝖒𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖉𝖊𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖑, 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖋𝖚𝖑 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝓗𝖔𝖌𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖘 𝖊𝖆𝖈𝖍 𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖗.

You can go into more detail if you want, Tom.

You don't have to.

Sorry, I shouldn't have asked.

𝓝𝖔, 𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖘𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖑𝛄 𝖜𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖔 𝖇𝖊𝖌𝖎𝖓. 𝓘 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖓'𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊.

Oh.

𝓣𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖆 𝖑𝖔𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖘, 𝛄𝖔𝖚'𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝛋 𝖕𝖊𝖔𝖕𝖑𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖌𝖗𝖔𝖜 𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒 𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝛄 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖉𝖎𝖉. 𝓣𝖍𝖊𝛄 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖜𝖆𝛄𝖘 𝖆𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖉.

𝓣𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖑𝖚𝖈𝛋𝛄 𝖙𝖔 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝛄 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝛋 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖗 𝖇𝖊𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖇𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝛄𝖊𝖆𝖗. 𝓣𝖍𝖊𝛄 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝛄 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖓 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝓒𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖋𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖎𝖑𝖑.

𝓐𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖋𝖔𝖔𝖉. 𝓘 𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝓗𝖔𝖌𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖘 𝖋𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖖𝖚𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖋𝖗𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖑𝛄 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝛋 𝖎𝖓 𝓛𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖓. 𝓒𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝓢𝖊𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖙𝖆𝛋𝖊 𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖜 𝖜𝖊𝖊𝛋𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖒𝛄 𝖗𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖘 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖋𝖎𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖑𝛄 𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓.

𝓜𝛄 𝖆𝖕𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝓘'𝖛𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖆 𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊.

No that's alright, I was just listening. Reading. You know what I mean.

𝓦𝖊𝖑𝖑, 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖍𝛄 𝓘 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖘𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖌𝖆𝖗𝖉 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝓜𝖚𝖌𝖌𝖑𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉.

But the Magical world was in shambles, too, wasn’t it? Grindelwald’s crusade was in full swing back then.

𝓘 𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖜𝖔, 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝛄𝖔𝖚’𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖙.

Do you think you’re out in the world right now, Tom?

𝓦𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖉𝖔 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖊𝖆𝖓?

Grown-up you. I mean if your Mirror spell caught a snapshot of you in 1943 you must have carried on here afterwards, right? The real you would have graduated and gone and done something with your life.

𝓘 𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖊 𝖘𝖔.

Maybe I’ll look up your name and see if I can find you, it would be funny to see where you ended up. Did any of the professors still here teach you, too? I could ask them about you.

𝓘’𝖉 𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖎𝖉𝖓’𝖙.

Why?

Tom?

       𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐𝐭𝐡

I lost a few hours last night after we talked. Woke up in my dorm again, I was just lying on my bed. It was so weird.

Are you alright?

       𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡

Hope you’re okay, it’s been a while.

       𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝

I have detention in an hour… But at least I’ll finally be able to make that potion you recommended!

𝓘 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝖒𝛄 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙.

Oh hello!!

𝓘 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝛋 𝓘 𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖋𝖋𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖘, 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖑𝖎𝛋𝖊𝖑𝛄 𝖉𝖔 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉.

Where have you been? Are you okay? It’s been ages.

𝚼𝖔𝖚'𝖛𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝛄 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖑𝖊𝖊𝖕-𝖜𝖆𝖑𝛋𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖘, 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝛄𝖔𝖚?

No, not since I last told you about it. What happened, Tom? Why did you vanish for so long?

𝓟𝖊𝖗𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖚𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖔𝖑𝖛𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖙𝖘𝖊𝖑𝖋 – 𝓘 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖕𝖔𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖎𝖘 𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆𝖗𝛄.

Wait. Did you misremember the effects, or is it unnecessary?

Hello?

𝓑𝖔𝖙𝖍, 𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖑𝛄.

That’s not ‘naturally,’ that’s a completely different point. Would it do more harm than good, or is it unnecessary because the problem’s already gone away? Which is it?

𝓘 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖍𝛄 𝛄𝖔𝖚’𝖗𝖊 𝖚𝖕𝖘𝖊𝖙 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘.

What exactly does that potion do, Tom?

𝓐𝖘 𝓘 𝖙𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝛄𝖔𝖚, 𝓘 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖎𝖙 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖕 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝛄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖘𝖑𝖊𝖊𝖕-𝖜𝖆𝖑𝛋𝖎𝖓𝖌, 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝓘 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖆 𝖘𝖚𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖔𝖑𝖚𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖚𝖊. 𝚼𝖔𝖚 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖑𝛄 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉𝖓’𝖙 𝖇𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗, 𝖊𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖑𝖑𝛄 𝖎𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖑𝖊𝖊𝖕-𝖜𝖆𝖑𝛋𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝛄𝖜𝖆𝛄.

𝓐𝖗𝖊 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊?

𝓘’𝖒 𝖘𝖔𝖗𝖗𝛄 𝖎𝖋 𝛄𝖔𝖚'𝖗𝖊 𝖚𝖕𝖘𝖊𝖙 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖒𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖘𝖔 𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌.

𝓘’𝖉 𝖑𝖎𝛋𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖉𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙.

𝓓𝖎𝖉 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖆𝛋𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖔𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖓𝖉? 𝓘 𝖍𝖔𝖕𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙, 𝖎𝖙 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖑𝛄 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖇𝖊 𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖜𝖋𝖚𝖑 𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝛄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖊𝖋𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖘.

       𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓𝐭𝐡

Want to tell me why you were trying to get me to make a Spirit Stifler, Tom?

𝚼𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖔𝖔𝛋𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖙 𝖚𝖕.

Yeah I did. Took a while, too, since you never told me its actual name. And you know, at first I thought it was really weird that I didn’t look it up when you first told me about it, but then I remembered that you told me you’d used it YOURSELF for sleeping issues and that I should just trust the recipe you gave me. ‘Misremembered the effects’ huh?

𝓘 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝛄𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌, 𝖎𝖋 𝛄𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊.

I read that Spirit Stiflers can leave the drinker vulnerable to POSSESSION. Want to explain THAT?

𝓘 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖒𝖆𝛋𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖙.

What else have you been lying to me about, Tom?

𝚼𝖔𝖚’𝖗𝖊 𝖚𝖕𝖘𝖊𝖙, 𝓘 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖉, 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖎𝖙’𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖑𝛄 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗 𝖎𝖋 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖊𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖒𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝛄𝖘𝖊𝖑𝖋.

Well how about you start here –  I looked up Mirroring spells too, and there’s not a single book in the whole library that says you can use them to make something like this diary.

𝓟𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊, 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙

Or perhaps you can explain why my SLEEP-WALKING seems to match descriptions of POSSESSION perfectly?

𝓘 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖉.

You stopped WHAT? You stopped possessing me??

𝓘𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔, 𝖜𝖊 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖆𝖑𝛋𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖘𝖔 𝖒𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖘

𝓘 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖉

𝓣𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖙 𝖎𝖘, 𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝖉𝖔𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖙 𝖉𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖑𝛄, 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖆𝖓 𝖊𝖋𝖋𝖊𝖈𝖙 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖚𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖌

You're really going to pretend like it was an accident when you tried to trick me into being EASIER to possess? Exactly how stupid do you think I am?

𝓐t 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝓘 𝖆𝖉𝖒𝖎𝖙 𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝖎𝖙, 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝓘 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝖒𝛄 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉, 𝓘 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝛄𝖊𝖉 𝖆𝖜𝖆𝛄 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝛋𝖊𝖉, 𝛄𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖉 𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊

You’ve been doing this to me since the beginning, haven’t you?

𝓘 𝖉𝖎𝖉𝖓’𝖙 𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙 𝖎𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖇𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖜𝖆𝛄.

What exactly would I find if I looked you up now, Tom? Why did you tell me not to ask about you?

No answer huh? Trying to think of a good story?

𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖒𝖆𝛋𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝓘 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝛋𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗.

I’m throwing this diary away. Goodbye, Tom.

“Beery’s an idiot, and you’re not welcome here,” Avery snaps.

“Just because the only time you’re a delight to have in class is on your way out, Avery,” you say teasingly, before looking back at Tom and sliding your hands down to his shoulders. “Hey, I gotta go, I promised Rutherford that I’d help him with the Astronomy assignment before dinner –”

“Rutherford? You’re wasting your time with that idiot?” Black snorts.

“ – but I’ll see you later,” you grin, ignoring Black’s comment entirely as you step back from Tom, “make sure you actually eat something at dinner, Riddle, hugging you just about gives me a paper cut!”

You’re gone before any of them can say another word, your robes billowing wildly behind you as you dash away.

“Why do you put up with that, Riddle?” Lestrange mutters, shaking his head. “It’s embarrassing.”

Tom wrenches his eyes off of your retreating form and steps through the doors into the Great Hall. “It’s harmless,” he says blankly.

The boys shoot each other curious looks but they follow him in silence – they know all too well the consequences of disagreeing with Tom Riddle.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

“Why are you making me do this?” Tom says flatly, looking around the common room disinterestedly.

You carefully slide the parchment under the glass that Tom was holding, trying to not accidentally sandwich the spider’s legs. “Hold still,” you say seriously, “I’ve nearly got it.”

The spider had crawled across the huge circular study table in the corner of the Slytherin common room about five minutes prior and had made Matilda Greengrass shriek at the top of her lungs.

“I thought you were afraid of spiders,” Tom mutters.

You smile absently, attention captivated by carefully lifting both the glass and the parchment. “I am.”

“Then why aren’t you just killing it?” he asks with a curt wave of his hand.

“Don’t be silly,” you laugh, turning to the stairs. “Now are you coming or not?”

“Where are you going?” Tom demands, but it’s no use – you’re already halfway up the stairs. He grits his teeth, but a second later he follows after you.

“We’ve got to put it outside, don’t we?” you say brightly when he catches up to you.

“You’re breaking curfew to put a spider outside?” he asks, exasperated.

“I’ve got a prefect with me, I’ll be fine,” you say with a wink.

Tom looks away, his expression stony, but he still follows you down the dungeon corridor. “That’s why you asked me to help you?” he asks flatly. “An alibi to avoid detention?”

“More like an alibi for your company,” you grin.

Tom looks back at you impassively, and he doesn’t speak another word until you’re returning to the common room with an empty, spider-less glass. “You should be more careful whose company you seek,” he says evenly.

“Should I?” you smile, glancing at him. “Are you talking about yourself?”

“Everyone knows you only see the good parts of people,” Tom says smoothly, his fingers lacing behind his back as he takes long, even strides beside you, “but it could be very dangerous to ignore the rest.”

“You think I’m ignoring the dangerous parts of you?” you laugh.

Tom looks at you, expression impenetrable. “Does that amuse you?” he asks softly. “I could be anything, after all.”

“Are you going to try to convince me that you’re a secret mass murderer?” you say teasingly.

Tom laughs, much too coldly. “Perhaps not a mass murderer,” he says contemplatively, looking around the corridor with detached interest. “But perhaps I’ve done other things you’d find… abhorrent.”

You draw to a halt and catch his arm, making him stop, too. “You’re being serious,” you say in realisation, frowning.

Tom doesn’t say anything, he only looks down at you with cool, impassive eyes like he was considering his options. Suddenly the dungeon corridor seems too big and too empty, the air colder and darker than moments before.

“Are you dangerous, Tom?” you ask, barely above whisper.

“What would you do if I was?” he replies softly, his head tilting slightly as he turns to you.

Your stomach twists but you try to ignore it. “I’m not sure,” you say slowly. “That might depend on how you’re dangerous.”

Tom’s lips curve into a small smirk and he takes a single step towards you that makes your pulse triple. “Would you really like to know?” he murmurs, lifting a hand and – so gently that your skin erupts into goosebumps – trailing his fingers down your cheek. “Should I tell you what I’m capable of? Would you still want my company afterwards?”

“Are you trying to scare me?” you whisper, swallowing the trembling feeling in your chest.

“Are you scared?” Tom breathes as he steps towards you again, pushing you backwards. Your back hits the wall and you stare up at him, eyes wide. You swallow hard as Tom’s fingers delicately take hold of your jaw and tilt your face up to his, trying to stop your knees from shaking.

“Is that why Lestrange and the others follow you around even though you obviously don’t even like them?” you ask with the faintest tremor in your voice. “Are they afraid of you?”

Tom’s smirk grows and his fingers trail the curve of your jaw and down on your neck, leaving shivers in their wake. “Observant, aren’t you?” he whispers, watching his fingertips brush your skin with interest. “A true Slytherin after all...”

“It would be easier, wouldn’t it?” you manage to say.

Tom’s fingers grow still against your skin, a minute crease appearing between his brows as his eyes dart up to yours. “Easier?” he repeats sharply.

“If I were scared of you,” you whisper, “that way I’d leave you alone.”

His dark eyes flick between yours like he hadn’t been expecting your response.

“Maybe you’re the one who’s scared,” you breathe.

Tom laughs again, a single derisive scoff as he lifts his jaw and looks down at you. “And what about you should frighten me?” he asks contemptuously.

“Maybe you’re scared that I actually like you,” you say quietly, “and maybe it scares you that you like being liked.”

Tom’s eyes widen and his hand drops from your neck like you’ve burned him as he steps back quickly. “It’s late,” he says harshly, looking away down the corridor. “You should get to your dorm.”

You frown. “What about you?”

“I have patrols,” he says curtly, turning on his heel and leaving without another word. You watch him go for a moment and then turn back to the Slytherin common room, your heart still beating fast.

The feeling of Tom’s fingers trailing feather-light across your skin haunts you until you finally fall asleep.

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.