A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but life got in the way. I am back with this story, and I promise I will update often. I should have a new chapter out soon, but as you may have noticed, I am updating the old chapters, and hopefully I can get the story to flow better. Please leave comments and reviews, this is my first story, so I would definately like to know what you think. I have also made two videos on youtube for this story if you wanna check them out. One is a trailer titled 'The remorse of Tom Riddle' the other is more of a look on their relationship titled 'Bring on the wonder Tom and Ainsleigh'. Leave comments and let me know what you think.
This was it, this was the moment. His final triumph. His wand was raised. The boy was standing like a lamb before the slaughter. Could it really be this easy? Why wasn't the boy going for his wand? Was it a trick? A trap perhaps? A faint figure began to shimmer behind the boy. It couldn't be. She shouldn't be here. She looked at him with incredible sadness, a disappointment he couldn't face. He said the words. The world went black.
The pain was unlike anything he had ever known. His soul screamed for mercy. He heard voices, indistinct whispers. White noise to the background of his pain. One voice slowly made its way to the forefront. He could barely comprehend what is was saying to him. He still had time. The boy would choose for them both. He would go back. It didn't have to be like this. Agony stretched throughout eternity. He felt himself pulling away from the pain. As the pain receded he became aware of the others. Shocked exclamations from his followers. The voice had vanished with the pain. He looked around. There, the boy was on the ground motionless. Was he dead? He had to make sure. The boy had to be dead, there was no other outcome acceptable to him.
He marched to the castle. His prize hanging limply in the arms of the half giant. The horrified cries of the old man's followers pleased him. All he had ever hoped for was within his grasp. He had always known he was destined for greatness, for immortality. His enemy was crushed, the others would soon follow. The only thing left to do was to wipe out any and all who refused to bow before him.
The battle was intense. Those inside the castle had not responded as he had hoped. His beloved companion was lost to him. Another piece of his soul destroyed. He felt it then in the midst of the furious fight. The boy. He had returned to haunt him with his survival. How could it be? How had he not known? They began to circle one another. This time the boy was not coming meekly under his wand. The words he spoke were impossible. How? How had the old man known so much? The boy was calmly taking apart every plan that he had made. He saw a familiar shimmering behind the boy. Once again she was there. Her hand resting gentlly on the boy's shoulder. The betrayal he felt was unexpected. He had to get her out of his head once and for all. He and the boy spoke at the same moment. As his wand flew through the air he heard her cry. Her denial was the last thing he was aware of as the world once again went black.
He was back. His personal hell was bleaker than he remembered. The pain more acute. The ebb and flow of agony surrounded him. His mind was consumed with three thoughts circling around, taunting him with all he had lost. The Boy. The Wand. Ainsleigh. The Boy. The Wand. Ainsleigh. How had it all gone wrong? What had he missed? The Boy. The Wand. Ainsleigh. The key was in there somewhere, yet it was just out of reach. Why couldn't he remember? The whispers came back, only this time there was one voice. A single voice fighting to be heard over the agonized screams in his mind. His mind began to reach for the voice almost instinctively. Almost as if he knew it could help.
"Tom" The pain slowly pulled back as he listened to the voice. 'I'm here' his mind cried.
"Tom, it's time." The voice was stronger this time. 'Time for what?'
"Time to atone." The voice was filled with sadness, regret. 'Atone? For what? For who?'
"Let go Tom, let me help you." His mind reached for the promise in the voice. The promise of love, redemption, peace. 'How?'
"Choose to come with me. It's time." The beauty of the voice overwhelmed him. The compassion his final undoing. 'Yes, yes I choose.' He felt love wash over him as his mind finally let go.
Tom looked at his surroundings. He was standing in a courtyard. Hogwarts. He was at Hogwarts, only it was a Hogwarts he had never seen before. The silence was deafening. The castle seemed to hold its breath in anticipation. He felt anxious, uncertain of what he was doing there. He knew he was on the edge of an enormous precipice. The castle was waiting, and somehow he knew SHE was too. He looked behind him, and there she was. He had known she would be here. Somehow he had known when her hand had rested on the boy's shoulder that she would somehow be involved. He moved toward her. She had haunted his dreams for years. Even when he had been stuck in the painful half life after the boy's mother's love had defeated him, his only thoughts had been of revenge and her. Her face had accused him, of what he had never been sure. As he moved toward her, he suddenly realized he was happy, truly happy to see her sitting there.
"Ainsleigh." He breathed as he came to her. At the sound of his voice, her face broke out into a radiant smile.
"Welcome home Tom."